And then when we started to compete at that level. I remember when the Seattle SuperSonics won it in the late 70s with Jack Sikma, Lonnie Shelton and those guys. At that point as a teenager I was a huge basketball fan. First part: The blossoming of (the Bad Boys championship era) was super-exciting for me. Well, I can tell you about the people who hated it: I can tell you a story I shouldn't tell, but I'll tell you in a minute. I don't know if other teams had situations like that - maybe some of them did - but I can testify that it was a family. But that's how it was then with the off-court part it. And he was in a lot of ways kind of like the closest thing I had to an older brother. And he and my dad became like father and son. Isiah was that much older than me and came here and really, in that first year, kind of really moved in with us and was having dinner at our house every night. Then years later we drafted Isiah Thomas. You know, I was an 8-year-old kid, 9 years old, whatever. And I remember sitting at the Stage Deli with my father, Oscar Feldman, John Long and Terry Tyler when they signed their first NBA contract. Obviously, the team was really built around Isiah, but John Long was the first guy we drafted from U of D (Detroit) - he and Terry Tyler. But, you know, what I can tell you is this: The first guy we sort of got, that became part of that championship family - and this will give you an idea really the family that it was and how different the NBA was in those days - was John Long. Their “Jordan Rule” ignited his Airness’ fire and once he overcame them, the rest was history.Those guys had a different thing on the court, obviously. Their last chapter was also the beginning of Jordan’s first. There was no doubt about the ability of this Pistons team. Their stifling defence and exquisite ball skills overcame the Showtime Lakers, the Clyde Drexler led Portland Trail Blazers in subsequent NBA Finals. Their often used 3 small Guards alignment which emphasised on interchangeable point guards and outside shooting, had other NBA teams scrambling to emulate the Pistons. Bill Laimbeer was the trend setting 3 point shooting center, the stretch 5 we see now in present NBA. They could also play ball.ĭennis Rodman was the defensive juggernaut, and he went on to win numerous rebounding titles and even partnered with Jordan later in his career. But make no mistake, they were more than just a gang of court bullies. Anything to put the opponents out of rhythm or bait them into retaliating. Whether it was throwing an elbow, a clothesline, a blatant body check or just the regular head butt, they could do it all. Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson and James Edwards.
Rounding up the team were the guys who gave authentication to their nick name. He was the Jordan stopper, and MVP In Detroit’s first championship win and represented USA in numerous gold medal winning forays. Partnering him in the back court was Joe Dumars, the quiet shooting guard who at times looked out of place among his more “illustrious” Bad Boys colleagues. Go check out his plays when he was in his prime and you will get the picture.
He was the original version of Steph Curry and Kylie Irving combined, with a mean streak and unmatched Basketball IQ. Personnel wise, the Bad Boys were led by Hall of Famer point guard, Isiah Thomas, top 50 NBA players of all time.
That mythical team brought the sporting world to its knees in the 1992 Olympics. So how good were these Pistons? First and foremost, they were coached by the late great Chuck Daly, who was also the coach of the first US Dream Team featuring Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and other greats. The writer idolised the Detroit Bad Boys growing up. They went to the NBA Finals for three straight years from 1988-1990, winning back to back championships in the latter two years, a feat achieved only by a few franchises. But people forget how good this Pistons team was. The rough house tactics employed against Jordan, or against all their opponents for that matter, made them arguably the most hated team in the NBA of that era. They were the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons. Michael Jordan will be a nobody without the Detroit Pistons.īefore Michael Jordan won the first of his 6 NBA titles, one particular team gave him fits. Article by SG Basketball Coach Victor Tan