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.
Rasheed Wallace was a huge part of the Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace came to Detroit and accepted a new role, which allowed him to win the last game of the season. He averaged 32.7 minutes and 13.4 points per game on an effective field goal percentage of .490 in Detroit, down from 35.5 minutes and 16.8 points on an efg% of .523 in Portland.
He was no longer THAT dude, but he was a man for his time and place.
Wallace played his role. He stretched the floor, blocked shots, and provided a championship team with passion and attitude matched only by his post partner and surname-sharing teammate Ben Wallace.
While we may remember Sheed more for his technical fouls than his statistical contributions, nonetheless he remains one of the best and most successful Pistons to ever take the court.
He was the man for his time and place, but sometimes, there’s another man…
Tayshaun Prince should have his number retired by the Detroit Pistons
Of all the Detroit Pistons whose jersey numbers haven’t been retired, Tayshaun Prince deserves the honor more than any other. Drafted by Detroit, Prince contributed to a championship in only his second year on the team.
In his sophomore campaign, his minutes per game jumped from 10.4 to 32.9, and he started 80 games and played in all 82. He scored 10.3 points per game and always defended the opposing team’s best wing including, but not limited to, Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller.
Without Tayshaun Prince, Detroit wouldn’t have won the 2004 Championship.
Retiring a player’s jersey is meant to be one of the highest honors bestowed on an individual player. The only honors of similar stature are the MVP award and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Grant Hill was deservedly inducted into the Hall of Fame. His overall career speaks for itself. Prince and Wallace may or may not be inducted, fingers crossed, and Wallace probably has a better chance due to his time in Portland.
But they’re Detroit Pistons’ legends.
A team retiring a player’s jersey reflects the relationship the team has with that particular player and their contributions specifically while playing for that team. Focusing on those parameters, Prince and Wallace deserve their jerseys retired in Detroit.
I hope to be there when it happens.