Detroit Pistons · Franchise era 2 of 7
Early Detroit struggles: the Detroit Pistons story
Franchise era
1957–58—1980–81
Early Detroit struggles
Detroit Pistons
The story in one sentence
Individual stars flourished, but Detroit won only one playoff series in its first 24 seasons in the city.
01
Yardley, Bing and a long playoff drought
02
Dave Bing, Bob Lanier and Dave DeBusschere gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the bad boys.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1957–58
What came before
The Pistons entered the BAA from the NBL and reached consecutive Finals before moving to a larger market.
1958
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Detroit Pistons vs St. Louis Hawks
1962
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Detroit Pistons vs Los Angeles Lakers
1976
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Detroit Pistons vs Golden State Warriors
After 1980–81
What came next
Thomas led a deep, punishing team through three straight Finals and championships in 1989 and 1990.
The core