The Top 10 Most Important Detroit Pistons Moments of the Decade
1. Tom Gores Buys the Pistons
As Detroit Lions and New York Knicks fans will attest, ownership matters. That’s where the culture of any business begins. That’s why Tom Gores buying the Pistons for $325 million in 2011 is the most important moment of the 2010s for the Detroit Pistons.
Before Gores purchased the team, the Pistons were in limbo. Longtime owner Bill Davidson, who had overseen all 3 championship teams had passed away, leaving the team to his widow Karen. It was confirmed that Mrs. Davidson wanted to sell the Pistons long before they were actually sold, which led to a period of strange decisionmaking.
Davidson passed in March of 2009. In July of 2009, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva were signed to very questionable contracts that were a clear indication that the team would not rebuild or play defense. Then, Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe, and cash were traded for a 2nd Round Pick? This was before Afflalo was an established player but even then the trade didn’t make much sense.
The next summer before Gores’s purchase, a broken down Tracy McGrady was signed – which was cool I guess? Or sad. Depending on how much of a T-Mac fan you were. This is all to say that it was a great relief to see Gores purchase the team.
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Of course, all Detroit sports news brings a wave of scrutiny, criticism, and pessimism. That’s just how we’re wired. The fear with Gores, who had built his fortune on buying inexpensive companies, restructuring them and then selling them for a profit, was that he would “spin-off” the Pistons or the Palace Sports and Entertainment.
So far, it seems, Gores has no plans to “flip the Pistons”, maybe he is here for the long haul. He certainly hasn’t been shy about spending money on the Pistons, whether it be on coaches, half-time performers, or in-game gimmicks.
The Pistons haven’t exactly transformed into the darlings of Detroit under Gores, in fact, they’re still in the bottom 5 in the NBA for average attendance and have only marginally improved their win-loss record. But for the most part, Gores has provided a sense of stability that has been lacking since Bill Davidson’s passing by hiring coaches with proven track records like Stan Van Gundy and Dwane Casey.
Ultimately, Gores has managed to put the Pistons on an upward trajectory over the decade, they have more assets, employ better coaches, and are more competitive than they were when he acquired them. As the man signing the checks and calling the shots, he has had the single most influence over the direction of this franchise in the 2010s.
It has not been an ideal start to Gores’s ownership but he has shown desperation to win, which is somewhat comforting. Whether he can dig the Pistons out of this current mess remains to be seen, success in the NBA has almost as much to do with luck as it does savvy management. The best teams have both.
If you made it through this piece and this decade, Pistons fandom intact, you’re tough – possibly so tough you’ve abandoned all common sense and logic. Maybe in the 2020s you’ll be rewarded for your patience. Look on the bright side, sitting through a decade of mediocre basketball will make the Pistons return to relevance all the sweeter.
dark. Next. Who was the best Piston of 2019?
I just hope when I’m writing the 2020s Top 10 Most Important Detroit Pistons Moments of the Decade on my iPhone 24 that’s been directly installed into my brain, that number 1 is an NBA Championship. Or at least an NBA Finals appearance.