#1 Songs in the most important years for the Detroit Pistons

2000: “Breathe” by Faith Hill 

There is some controversy about what the actual number one song was in 2000, but I’m choosing this one because no one is still reading at this point and I can do what I want. Shout out to those still with me! 

“Breathe” was exactly what Pistons fans were advised to do after they found out the team had just traded Grant Hill for two guys they had never heard of. Hill was going to leave in free agency anyway, so ended up in a sign-and-trade with Orlando that sent Detroit Chucky Atkins and some undrafted player called Ben Wallace. 

What initially looked like a horribly lopsided deal for the Pistons turned out to be one of the most consequential moves of all time for Detroit, as Wallace evolved into arguably the best defensive player of all time, a Hall of Famer who was the heart and soul of the “Goin to Work” era.  

Hill was never really the same guy again after suffering multiple injuries that cost him a lot of games during his prime. This looked terrible for Detroit at the time, and fans were hyperventilating after losing one of the best players in the league, but Wallace became the face of Detroit basketball in the 2000s and enjoyed team success that Hill never did.