Ranking the Most Iconic Detroit Pistons of All Time

The Detroit Pistons are an iconic NBA franchise, molded through decades of physical play and grit, and marked by a very successful era from the late 1980s to early 1990s. Their history is lined with squads that prioritized team-first play and strategically dismantled heavily favored opponents.

While Cade Cunningham is the current face of the Pistons and could certainly have an argument in five years, this Mount Rushmore list is dominated by pre-21st century Pistons legends.

Similarly, Chauncey Billups, despite giving nine seasons of his excellent career to Detroit, and winning an NBA title with it, finds himself on the outside looking in. Dave Bing, too, though his time as an ambassador of the city (even after his sterling Pistons career) makes a pretty strong case.

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Honorable Mentions

• Dave Bing (1966-1975)
• Chauncey Billups (2002-2009; 2013-14)
• Richard "Rip" Hamilton (2003-2011)
• Bill Laimbeer (1982-1993)
• Grant Hill (1994-2000)
• Dennis Rodman (1986-1993)
• Chuck Daly (head coach from 1983-1992)

4. Ben Wallace (2000-06, 2009-12)

Wallace was the anchor of the "Goin' to Work" era, a team lacking a true superstar whose peak was a five-game win in the 2004 NBA Finals over the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Wallace, a true defensive stalwart, made his presence heavily known in the series, but especially in Game 5, where he posted 18 points and 22 rebounds in what was his best game in the series to help Detroit clinch.

Wallace made each All-Star game from 2003 to 2006, and "Big Ben" won four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards while in Detroit.

3. Bob Lanier (1970-1980)

During his illustrious tenure in Detroit, Lanier made eight All-Star teams and established himself as one of the premier rebounders in basketball. To this day, the Basketball Hall of Famer ranks second all-time in rebounds among Pistons players, an impressive rank to go along with his franchise record 22.7 points per game in Detroit.

Lanier, who led the team in scoring from 1972 to 1979, is also the leader in player efficiency rating as the team's greatest low-post scorer of all time.

While Lanier and the Pistons never made it past the second round of the playoffs, one could only imagine how great Lanier's all-time legacy would be had he played on a better Pistons team.

2. Joe Dumars (1985-1999)

Dumars is one of the most respected guards in NBA history, and a highly talented complement to Isiah Thomas in the backcourt for the Pistons' near-dynasty of the late 1980s.

There is no "Bad Boy" era without Dumars, who played his entire 14-year career in Detroit and leads all Pistons players in games played. Dumars was an effective perimeter shooter with the most three pointers made in franchise history (990) and the second-most points by a Pistons player (16,401).

Dumars came alive in the postseason, averaging north of 17 points per game when the team needed him most, and was the central contributor and Finals MVP during the Pistons' triumphant NBA Finals win in 1989 over the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led Lakers (4-0).

Following his playing career, Dumars stayed with the city that rallied around him, joining the Pistons as an executive, where he helped assemble the underdog 2004 championship team led by Billups and Hamilton that dethroned Kobe and the Lakers. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

1. Isiah Thomas (1981-1994)

While Dumars was a legend in his own right, Thomas can be considered the undisputed best player in Pistons history, a 2000 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and one of the best to play the position of point guard.

Thomas, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Indiana, made the All-Star game in 12 of his 13 years in the league, all spent in Detroit, and was the centerpiece and MVP of the 1990 NBA Finals team that took down the Trail Blazers in five games.

His 1989 playoffs were only overshadowed by Dumars, but Thomas averaged 18.2 points and 8.3 assists en route to their sweep of the Lakers, upping the ante with 20.5 points and 8.2 assists during the repeat-champions 1990 NBA playoffs.

Thomas leads the Pistons in field goals (7,194), points (18,822), steals (1,861 - the next most is Wallace with 931), and free throws. There is no better player in Pistons history.