With the news that the Detroit Pistons would be debuting alternate uniforms for the 2013-14 season, I thought it would be interesting to explore the history of Pistons unis.
Most fans think of four distinct periods of "Dee-troit Basketball": 1. The old peach basket days where everything is in black and white, and sub-6-foot players were plentiful 2. The simple red, white and blue of the dominant 80s. 3. The *shudder* sad, sad 90s of the "teal era." 4. The return to crimson red, white and royal blue that we've enjoyed ever since.
But the history of the Pistons uniform is a little more complicated than I thought. And believe me, when I thought of this idea I didn't think I'd be spending the large part of several days going down this particular rabbit hole.
I'll look at a different era every day. Today: Old School. Wednesday: Bad Boys. Thursday: Teal era Friday: Modern Day. For all the logos, I used SportsLogos.net. They also served as an invaluable jumping off point for my search of appropriate photos, which all come from www.pistons.com except for the sports cards.
Old School
1957/58 - 1978/79
Playoff appearances: 11
Championships: 0
Primary logos
The Pistons have been remarkably consistent with logos considering they've been around in Detroit since the 1950s. And it started at the very beginning, when they moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit they established an early form of the name within basketball that we are all familiar with. From 1957 all the way until 1979 their logo hardly changed at all.
And while the above are boring, they are certainly not regrettable, and even have an old-school charm. If they printed these on a couple T-shirts, I would probably pick one up. And they also served as a great template for the classic logo that those of us who are old enough to remember the Bad Boys days will always think of when considering THE definitive Pistons logo.
Jerseys
HOME 1957/58 - 1962/63
George Yardley
That dashing chap is George Yardley. He predated the Detroit Pistons and spent many years as a Fort Wayne Piston. He was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in a single season and is a member of the basketball Hall of Fame. He retired after just seven years in professional basketball, and is the only player to voluntarily retire following a season in which he averaged over 20 points per game.
AWAY 1957/58 - 1962/63
Ray Scott
Ray Scott played 11 years of professional ball where he averaged nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds. After his playing days he would go on to coach the Pistons for three-and-half season, even winning a coach of the year award. He also spent some time as the head coach at Eastern Michigan.
HOME 1963/64 - 1968/69
Bailey Howell
I couldn't find a single road jersey for the threads from 1963-69 but above is the home jersey modeled by Bailey Howell. Howell spent the first five years of his Hall of Fame career in Detroit, where he was elected to four all-star games as a Piston. He would go on to win two championships in Boston. Howell had a gift for scoring and was a tenacious player with a great work ethic -- he played at least 75 games in every one of his 12 years in the NBA.
HOME 1969/70 - 1973/74
Chris Ford
Chris Ford spent six seasons and part of his seventh in Detroit Piston uniform. He was a scrapper and hustler who had limited success. He did go on to win a championship with the Celtics in 1981 and will go down in the history books as scoring the NBA's first 3-point shot, connecting from long range against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 12, 1979. Also served as head coach for the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
AWAY 1969/70 - 1970/71
Harold "Happy" Hairston
The Pistons briefly sported sky blue road jerseys for the 69/70 and 70/71 seasons as modeled by Harold "Happy" Hairston. He only played one season in Detroit and is better known for the six years he spent with the L.A. Lakers, including championship in 1972. During that championship year, Hairston (1,045) and Wilt Chamberlain (1,572) became the only teammates in history to each pull down at least 1,000 rebounds.
AWAY 1969/70 - 1973/74
Bob Lanier
One of the all-time great Pistons, Bob Lanier was an eight-time all-star who tallied more than 19,000 points, 9,500 rebounds and 1,000 blocks in his illustrious 14-year career. The former No. 1 overall pick out of St. Bonaventure was consistently in the top 10 in scoring while wearing a Piston uniform and was one of the most efficient big men of his era. Retired as a career 20-point, 10-rebound, 1.5-block per game player.
HOME 1974/75 - 1977/78
??? I got nothing.
AWAY 1974/75 - 1977/78
Eric Money
Eric Money played six seasons in the NBA and is notable for the following reasons: 1. He is actually a Detroit native, 2. His last name is Money, which is pretty cool, 3. He was one of the professional basketball players to appear in the 1979 classic "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh," which is the greatest Julius Erving, Jonathan Winters, Stockard Channing pairing in the history of cinema.
FAQs
Mascot edit
Hooper is the mascot of the Pistons. He is depicted as a horse wearing a Pistons jersey. The symbolism is, that like the pistons they are named after, the team produces horsepower.
Why did the pistons change their colors? ›
"This year's City Edition uniforms are inspired by the "Bad Boys" era of Detroit Basketball that changed the way basketball in the NBA was played, personified the city and displayed the blue-collar attitude of Detroiters that still resonates to this day," Alicia Jeffreys, chief marketing officer for the Detroit Pistons ...
What year did pistons wear teal? ›
The Pistons' audacious teal jerseys made their debut in the 1996-97 season, when Grant Hill was in his third year with Detroit and Joe Dumars entered the waning years of his Hall of Fame career.
Why are the pistons wearing black? ›
According to the team, the uniforms pay tribute to the Detroit Bad Boys logo. They are black with orange piping and feature "Detroit" in the classic script on the chest. On the shorts, there's a modernized take of the logo that has a crackled "313" reference to the skull and crossbones from the original design.
What does the Detroit Pistons logo represent? ›
According to the Pistons, the colors have meaning to the city. Royal blue is "representative of the blue-collar work ethic of the city of Detroit." Red is "associated with the heart shown both on the court and in the community." White is "pure, energetic and symbolic of the youthful core that makes up this team."
When did the Pistons change their logo? ›
The Pistons last revamped their logo in 2005, going from the fiery horse over exhaust pipes to their current appearance.
What does 313 mean in Detroit Pistons? ›
Detroit Pistons. As we are all aware, all cities have area codes — a three-digit number that identifies the telephone service region an individual is dialing in to. For Detroit, that three-digit code is “313.” This means that March 13th is technically the cities special day, at least based on their area code.
Why are the Pistons so bad now? ›
The Pistons have had a lack of leadership during their rebuild and have the players and staff fully commit. Since 2015, the three head coaches of the Pistons have all had losing records. The constant turmoil the Pistons franchise hinders progress and stalling efforts to propel the team in the right direction.
What colors did the old school Pistons wear? ›
Most fans think of four distinct periods of "Dee-troit Basketball": 1. The old peach basket days where everything is in black and white, and sub-6-foot players were plentiful 2. The simple red, white and blue of the dominant 80s.
What were the Detroit Pistons originally called? ›
The team was initially called the Wayne Zollner Pistons when it was established and was changed to its current name after moving to Detroit in 1957. The Pistons currently play their home games at Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit.
The Pistons' starting five in 2004 — Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace — were nicknamed “The Best Five Alive.” They pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA history by defeating the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers, led by Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, in five games.
Why are the Pistons wearing 16? ›
Following Lanier's death, Detroit Pistons players wore a black stripe with No. 16 across the right shoulder (as seen from the front) of their jerseys for the 2022–23 NBA season.
Why were the Pistons called the Bad Boy pistons? ›
Picture this: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer are all on one team. They were some menaces and were known for their relentless intensity and fierce competitiveness in their style of play. In the era of flashy basketball, the Pistons embraced grit, which gave them the “Bad Boys” title.
Who wore 40 on the Pistons? ›
Laimbeer had his jersey number (40) retired by the Pistons in February 1995.
Who is the Detroit Pistons player with no hair? ›
Charlie Alexander Villanueva Mejia (born August 24, 1984) is a Dominican-American former professional basketball player who played for the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Queens, New York, U.S.
What does a horse logo mean? ›
Symbolic meaning
Depending on the context, the image of a horse is associated with wisdom, light, dynamics, shrewdness, and a quick pace of time. Also, a stallion makes us think about fertility, masculinity, and power.
Why do car logos have horses? ›
Horses, revered across cultures, symbolize not just speed but also power, wisdom, and freedom—attributes synonymous with the world's most coveted automobiles. From the iconic prancing horse of Ferrari to the sleek stallion adorning Porsche's crest, these symbols embody a legacy of excellence and prestige.
Is the Pistons mascot a horse? ›
His Hooper Mobile is large enough to transport him and his giant personality to all his appearances. This Horse is guaranteed to bring fun and excitement to any event!
What is the horse symbol on a car? ›
When you take a closer look at the Porsche and Ferrari logos, both luxury models have a logo featuring a prancing horse.
