Detroit Pistons: Top 5 small forwards in franchise history
Detroit Pistons top small forwards #3: George Yardley
George Yardley is not known by most Detroit Pistons fans. The unknown legend almost seems forgotten in Pistons history. He started his career with the Pistons prior to their move to Detroit. As a member of the Ft. Wayne/Detroit Pistons he played six seasons with the franchise. Let’s look at why he’s more than deserving of his placement on this all-time list.
His accomplishments were plentiful during his tenure with the team. He was selected 7th overall in the 1950 draft by the Ft. Wayne Pistons. Although he played in a much different era, his contributions can’t be denied. Could his play translate to today’s game, we’ll never know but what he did is noteworthy.
Related Story. Re-drafting the 2011 NBA Draft. light
This small forward at one time was considered the greatest Piston ever. In his six seasons with the organization he was an All Star five times. Grant Hill is the only small forward to have as many appearances for the franchise. Yardley led the Pistons to the franchise’s first ever NBA finals, playing in 384 games respectively.
When the Detroit Pistons had their inaugural season he showed out for the new city and fans. The natural scorer wowed the city of Detroit by leading the league in scoring that season. He is still one of only three Pistons to have a scoring title. As scoring champ he averaged 27.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. He became the first player in NBA history to record over 2,000 points in a single season. His 27.8 points is second all time in the Pistons history. This groundbreaking year for the city of Detroit was set off by his historic play.
Yardley’s body of work speaks for itself. He’s a two time All NBA player, five time All Star, and has a scoring title with the organization. He represented the team on his jersey with integrity, hardwork, and dedication. Those attributes are how he got the franchise to its first finals. His play with the Pistons earned him a enshrinement in the basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first superstar type player, and perennial All Star for the Detroit Pistons.