Detroit Pistons: Ranking the top jerseys of all-time

NBA teams are throwing it back for the 2019-20 season and it’s clear that Detroit Pistons fans are looking for a similar movement. Here are our favorites.

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the more in-tune teams I’ve seen around sports when it comes to interacting with fans on social media.

Pistons Twitter is a special community of passionate fans that is linked together and, right now, their resounding sounds are calling for throwback alternate uniforms.

Several teams around the NBA have released new throwback jerseys this summer, including the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies in the past week. A handful of teams embrace their past by wearing throwback alternates, and the list is seemingly growing larger each year.

Imagine building off the positive momentum the Pistons have, coming off their second playoff appearance in four years, Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond having, arguably, the best years of their career, a resurgent Derrick Rose joins the Pistons team, Luke Kennard taking a step in the playoffs; there’s a lot of hope and optimism surrounding the Pistons and the fan base is taking notice.

There may not be a better time to unveil a new jersey set. Marketable players like Rose (former MVP and comeback from severe injury), Griffin (a top 20 player in the league who does stand up comedy) and Drummond (an all-time great rebounder who likes to rap).

If anything is clear from going to various sporting events over the past few years, it’s that throwback jerseys are popular. Even going to college in central Illinois, the Grant Hill teal jerseys were popular on campus.

Other teams that wear throwback jerseys include the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz. The list continues to grow and hopefully the Pistons become early adopters instead of laggards.

This story will focus on the colored-based uniforms only, since the Pistons already have a traditional white-base uniform, there’s no sense in having a second.

5. Cursive Detroit

Don’t let Elgin Baylor distract you from the fact that the Pistons wore jerseys with “Detroit” in cursive. While cursive may be used less and less, and not even being taught in schools in some places, it’s one thing that belongs on jerseys.

These particular Pistons jerseys were a little bland, and that’s not because it’s a black-and-white photo. They were a blue base with a solid red stripe around the shoulders, collar and around the bottom of the shorts. Red outlined the white numbering and lettering.

The waistband and side stripe on the shorts is white, almost to look as if the shorts have been rolled over.

More red may work and it would be interesting to see what the numbering and lettering would look like with a red base and white outline.

To really get creative and incorporate more red, the roles could flipped if switched to a red-base jersey instead.

Austin chimed in on Twitter asking for the Pistons to bring back the white version of these uniforms.

Detroit wore these jerseys from 1963-69 and didn’t have good seasons back then. Their best was a 40-42 season in 1967-68. Though they were fourth in pace, they were 10th in points allowed per game.

It gets better from here, however.

4. A splash of 50 years ago

Dave Bing, Bob Lanier and Jimmy Walker were the top three scorers on Detroit’s 1970-71 team that finished 45-37. Lanier had the lowest scoring average of the three, at 15.6 points per game, while Bing scored 27 points per game. The trio had to have been exciting to watch.

The season prior, the Pistons debuted new powder blue jerseys with red numbering and trim around white letters. There were stripes around the shorts, shoulders and collar of the jersey in red and white.

The jerseys are 50 years old, so it would make sense to see the Pistons bring them back.

Perhaps modernizing the lettering would help the jerseys as opposed to a straight replica would spice it up and make it more appealing on the eyes.

Powder blue jerseys have been big hits elsewhere, thinking of the San Diego, now Los Angeles Chargers. Around the NBA, the Sacramento Kings wear their powder blues with pride. The Denver Nuggets have used powder blue, too. The Memphis Grizzlies have worn a similar type of blue in the past.

However, they’re all Western Conference teams and it’s hard to imagine any Eastern Conference teams in powder blue.

It could be a unique jersey that allows the Pistons to stick out. Having only worn them for two years, long before a fresh Pistons fanbase could remember, it could be a refreshing change.

3. The one with red

This is the only true red-based jersey to make the cut. The mid-1990’s version is what the Isiah Thomas blue’s looked like if you switched up the jersey base, and it’s a nice look. These are also similar to the red-based jerseys worn from 1974-78, but without the awkward white stripes down the side.

There wasn’t a lot of success with these jerseys, due to the Michael Jordan-led Bulls dominating the league.

Detroit wore this uniform set for two seasons. Don Chaney‘s final season, finishing 28-54 during the 1994-95 season, and Doug Collins‘ first season, a much-improved 46-36 record during the 1995-96 season.

Hill and Allan Houston formed a formidable duo. Hill scored 20.2 points per game in his second professional season. Houston scored 19.7 points per game in his third season out of the University of Tennessee.

Of course, that team featured Joe Dumars, Otis Thorpe, Terry Mills and Lindsey Hunter, among others.

For the red-based jerseys of the past, Detroit’s aren’t exciting. There isn’t a lot of unique features to them. Several of the blue-based jerseys could be re-created into reds, and that could create some interesting prospects.

2. Lightning strikes

In what was the worst year in Detroit Pistons history, they at least had slick jerseys to wear. Detroit wore the “lightning” jerseys from 1979-81.

The 1980-81 season was filled with youthfulness. With a roster filled with five rookies, including Michigan State alumnus Greg Kelser, and only one player with more than four years experience, Bob McAdoo, the Pistons finished 16-66. Twelve games into the season, head coach Dick Vitale was fired with a record of 34-60 in his one full season and first 12 of this particular season.

Fortunately, the Pistons haven’t seen anything that bad and hopefully won’t have to ever again.

The blue base on these jerseys are slick and the red lightning streaks are unique to the Pistons. This is one of the jerseys that, if you flip the base colors and striping, could turn out nicely if a red base is what teams were looking at.

In fact, Eli Bashi took care of that by editing a jersey set in NBA 2K.

Admittedly, those red-based lightning jerseys are solid.

Evaluating a new jersey scheme

There’s always an option of creating a new jersey set. Several sets have been created around the league to honor legends from their communities, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Prince-themed jerseys. Miami has separate pink and black jersey sets for their “Miami Vice” nights.

Around the NBA, the Boston Celtics have embraced their lucky clover with special St. Patrick’s Day jerseys. The Golden State Warriors have done a tremendous job embracing the Bay Area as a whole. The Jazz have, perhaps, the best alternate with their desert-themed “sunset” jerseys.

What could the Pistons do to embrace their own legacy or honor the legends of Detroit?

Eli is back with a creation of a new “Bad Boys” uniform.

Maybe there is an architecture-themed jersey that could incorporate the popular artwork around Detroit. What first comes to mind is The Spirit of Detroit, which donned the Pistons’ NBA Finals jerseys in 2005.

Another option would be honoring Joe Louis, featuring his monument in some way.

Detroit had its fair share of vocalists that have gone on to win countless awards. Music is something everybody can relate to, and the legendary Michigan musicians span across many different genres.

Imagine a uniform that unites classic musicians like Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder with newer artists, such as Eminem, Big Sean and Kid Rock. Throw in The White Stripes and The Temptations and the diversity is something that could be second-to-none.

It’s a brand that would not only unite those around Detroit and the state of Michigan, but would likely be popular beyond because of the reach that music has across the world. It would be a marketing push to help build a greater fan base, as a result.

Another angle could be to incorporate the neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada into a themed jersey.

Then there’s the re-creation of the legendary “horse” Pistons jerseys, which Eli Bashi has also designed in NBA 2K.

Or there could be an entire new kit, as Eli Bashi suggests. Maybe the Pistons should consult him when they go to re-brand or re-design their jerseys since he certainly has a creative touch.

Whatever the Pistons decide to do, there are plenty of options out there. Including the top option.

1. The teal horse

It is, perhaps, the most unique NBA jersey ever created. It’s a fan-favorite at college party’s, Detroit sporting events and watch party’s all over.

The teal jerseys were worn from 1996-2001 and are incredibly popular among the younger generations of the fanbase. Although those that dislike the uniform is due to the decline to mediocrity.

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Doug Collins led the Pistons to a 54-28 record behind Hill, Dumars, Hunter, Mills, Thorpe and Aaron McKie, among others, during the 1996-97 season. This was the year the jerseys debuted.

Collins was fired mid-season the following year, allowing Alvin Gentry to take over. The Pistons finished 37-45. During the lockout season in 1998-99, Detroit went 29-21. A 42-40 season followed before the final of year of the jerseys yielded a disappointing 32-50 season under the direction of George Irvine.

The 2000-01 team featured rookie Mateen Cleaves out of Michigan State, Ben Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, which is another popular teal jersey seen around the country.

What’s your favorite jersey the Pistons have worn? Let us know in the comments section, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to chime in.