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Building a lineup of Detroit Pistons fans’ most hated players

By Jonah Kubicek

Forward Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics sits on the bench during a game.
Forward Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics sits on the bench during a game. /
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Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace #30 of the Detroit Pistons smiles as he is boxed out by Al Harrington #3 and Ron Artest #23 of the Indiana Pacers (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Detroit Pistons: The All-time most hated team

Shooting Guard: Ron Artest

Ron Artest played forward during his excellent career, but his perimeter defense and shooting lend themselves to a modern shooting guard. In 2022, guards and forwards are all considered “wings” anyway, so this should be another small adjustment.

To the backcourt, Artest brings a defensive intensity that rivals even Jordan. He can hit the big shot, bang around in the post, and is the ultimate Swiss Army knife player.

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It should be obvious why he ended up on the list. Yes, the fan who threw the beer is to blame for the Malice at the Palace. Artest responded. He did not instigate. In fact, I would call him the victim of the whole affair.

Despite his clear conscious, Artest went on to be one of the more hated players in Pistons history. He punched out a fan. Deserved or not, that’s enough to make a mark and seal a reputation.

I think the Artest/Jordan backcourt would rival the Jordan/Pippen version. Artest was never on a team as great as the Bulls and never played with a player as great as Jordan, but their competitive spirits would play very well off of each other.