Predicting the next jersey number to be retired by the Detroit Pistons

Few teams in the NBA have as long and illustrious a history as the Detroit Pistons. In fact, I would argue Detroit is the fifth most storied franchise behind only Boston, the Lakers, Philadelphia, and San Antonio, though due to the excellence of recent years, cases could be made for Golden State and Miami’s places in the conversation.

Retired numbers for the Detroit Pistons

As of today, the Pistons’ organization has retired eleven jersey numbers: Chauncey Billups (1), Chuck Daly (2), Ben Wallace (3), Joe Dumars (4), Dennis Rodman (10), Isiah Thomas (11), Vinnie Johnson (15), Bob Lanier (16), Dave Bing (21), Richard Hamilton (32), and Bill Laimbeer (40).

Longtime owner Bill Davidson and GM Jack McCloskey both had their names hung in the rafters to honor their contributions to the team. The inclusion on this list of Lanier and Bing, two of the greatest to ever play the game, despite their never winning championships with the Pistons, illustrates Detroit’s depth of history.

Who, then, will next be honored with their jersey hanging above the heads of future fans and tomorrow’s team?

According to an article on Sir Charles In Charge, Grant Hill’s #33 should be the next retired number: “People forget that Grant Hill was THAT dude while in Detroit.”

That’s a fair statement.

However, the Hill era of Pistons basketball, with its losing and teal jerseys, doesn’t bring to mind a lot of great memories. It’s unfair that injuries derailed Hill’s career. He could’ve, perhaps should’ve, been one of the league’s all-time greats, and his time in Detroit was his athletic best.

That said, should his jersey be retired in the Motor City? I’m not sure individual excellence is enough to earn this honor, at least not when others who played exceptional basketball while contributing to team success haven’t yet had their number called.

Hill’s individual accomplishments deserve praise, but not until two other players receive their flowers from the Detroit Pistons.