Detroit Pistons

From Hoopedia

The Detroit Pistons began their basketball life as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, members of the National Basketball League (NBL). Fred Zollner, owner of the team from its formation in 1941 until 1974, played a key role in merging the NBL with the BAA (Basketball Association of America), which created the NBA in 1948. The Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957. The Pistons have won two NBL titles and three NBA titles.

1 History
2 Home Courts
3 Franchise Personnel
4 Retired Numbers
5 External Links

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History

For a detailed account of the Pistons over the years, read the Detroit Pistons Franchise History.

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Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Pistons have a long history, dating back to the National Basketball League (NBL). They have had their ups and downs, but no one can argue that they have not been successful. A few numbers say a lot:

Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons logo, 1941-48

two NBL championships
four NBL Finals
three World Tournament championships
two NBA Finals
five Hall of Famers

The Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons joined the NBL in 1941. They met with immediate success, advancing to the league championship series their first four years in the league. They came up short in 1942 and 1943, but took the title in 1944 and 1945. They remained an NBL power through 1948, but never won another NBL title.

The Zollner Pistons won the World Professional Basketball Tournament three years running, 1944-1946. That invitational tournament brought together the best basketball teams in America, regardless of their league affiliation or the skin color of their players. A different Zollner Pistons player was selected tournament MVP in each of those tournaments.

In 1948 the Pistons jumped leagues and joined the young Basketball Association of America. After a weak first season, they made the playoffs every year, making it all the way to the NBA Finals in 1955 and 1956.

While the team was successful on the court and in the hearts of many fans, owner Fred Zollner made the difficult decision that Fort Wayne was just not big enough for his NBA team. After the 1957 season, the Pistons moved to nearby Detroit.

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Detroit, Michigan

Detroit Pistons logo, 1958-71.

The 2004 NBA Champs were honored on the Wheaties box.

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Name History

The franchise was founded in Fort Wayne, Ind., as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, a National Basketball League (NBL) team. Owner Fred Zollner ran a foundry that manufactured pistons primarily for car, truck and locomotive engines.

In 1948, the team dropped "Zollner" from the name and became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America. In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table.

Though the Pistons enjoyed a solid local following, their city's small size made it difficult for them to be profitable. In 1957, Zollner moved the team to Detroit, a much larger city that hadn't seen professional basketball in a decade. When the team relocated to the Motor City, the name Pistons was still appropriate in the nation’s automobile capital.

"Since I've been here, we've never considered changing the team name," President and CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment Tom Wilson said. "Mr. Davidson would say that it was, is and always will be the name. Just like the Lakers, Warriors, and Hawks, who all moved from different cities -- it is what it is."

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Home Courts

Arena	Years
North Side High School Gym	1948-1952 (Fort Wayne)
War Memorial Coliseum	1952-1957
Olympia Stadium	1957-1961 (Detroit)
Cobo Arena	1961-1978
Pontiac Silverdome	1978-1988
Palace of Auburn Hills	1988-present