The First Detroit Pistons Noel

The new NBA team in town, called the Detroit Pistons, had a game against the Lakers on December 25, 1957. It was the first chance for sports fans in the Detroit area to go to an NBA game on Christmas Day. It was a tradition that would last 15 years.

The history of the NFL’s Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving goes back to almost the start of the league. So the Pistons, in their first season in Detroit, decided to have their own game on a holiday.

Luckily for them, the Red Wings, the main tenant of Olympia Stadium, did not have anything going on, so the Pistons scheduled a game with the Lakers (then based in Minneapolis) for Christmas Day.

It was a cloudy, windy day in Detroit  with temperatures in the low 40s. Although there is no known record of the official attendance, the Pistons averaged 4,800 fans a game that season.

The spectators who came on Christmas saw an entertaining game. The Lakers held a 16-point lead entering the fourth quarter but Detroit staged a massive comeback that fell just short (1957 Pistons much like 2021 Pistons) and were edged, 106-104.

George Yardley, en route to the first 2,000 point season in NBA history, led Detroit with 29 points.

It was the third loss in four games for new coach Red Rocha. He had replaced Charley Eckman after Detroit started out with a 9-15 record. Ironically, three future NBA coaches, Gene Shue, Harry ‘the Horse’ Gallatin and Dick McGuire were among the Pistons players that day, giving ‘playing like a coach on the floor’ a new meaning.

McGuire would become, at age 34, the head coach of the Pistons in 1959 and last four seasons. His younger brother, Al McGuire, would win an NCAA title at Marquette.

Playing on Christmas Day was not the big deal it is now. Only two other NBA games (Boston-Warriors, Knicks-Nationals) were played that day.

Having a game on December 25th was not a new experience for the Pistons players. The year before, when they were the Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons, they had also played the Lakers on Christmas, but at a neutral site, Rochester, New York.

The Detroit players were probably happy to spend Christmas at home, instead of in Western New York.

The Christmas Day game with the Lakers actually kicked off a four games in four days stretch for the Pistons (the players union would never go for that now). People were off work and the 11-year-old NBA was trying to take advantage.

After the Lakers game, the Pistons headed to St. Louis and the next night beat the Hawks. On the 27th, Detroit lost to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, ending this brutal stretch, with a home win over the Nationals (now the 76ers) on December 28 to go 2-2.

Rocha would eventually turn things around, and Detroit ended up losing to the Hawks in the Western Conference finals. The Pistons would only make a conference final one other time, between then and 1987.

Making such a crazy schedule somewhat palatable, was the fact Detroit was one of the few NBA teams with its own jet, thanks to owner Fred Zollner, who owned a piston factory in Fort Wayne, and let them use the company plane.

As NBA.com described it:

"In 1952, the Pistons became the first team to travel by private plane. Zollner’s DC-3, a.k.a. “The Flying Z,” was no Roundball One, to be sure, but it raised the bar for accommodating an ever more rigorous traveling regimen. ."

When Dave Bing joined the team 15 years later, the Pistons were still the envy of the league, according to the Hall of Famer.  He found the team plane was great for getting to places in a timely manner, but noted the lack of amenities.

"“It wasn’t as good as the regular commercial planes, but because it was private and you only had to deal with people from the organization, you could set your own time as to when you’re going to leave. All of those were plusses,” Bing said. “But it didn’t compare to a regular commercial flight.”"

For 15 years, 1957-82, the Pistons had a game on Christmas Day. They were not always at home, but they always played. The NBA office then got more involved in the schedule, and began looking at Christmas games as a marketing opportunity, instead of tradition.

But 64 years ago, Detroit fans got a chance to see NBA basketball on Christmas for the first time.