Supra
  • Baseball
      • Back
      • MLB
  • Basketball
      • Back
      • ABA
      • NBA
      • WNBA
  • Football
      • Back
      • AAF
      • CFL
      • NFL
      • USFL
      • XFL
  • Hockey
      • Back
      • NHL
  • STH News

Fort Wayne Pistons Team History

Ft. Wayne Pistons Primary Logo
Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons Primary Logo
Detroit Pistons Primary Logo
  • 1948
  • 1957
  • Fort Wayne Pistons 1948

    New Name Fort Wayne Pistons

    Joining the BAA the Pistons are starting over again as they drop the Zollner from their nickname. However, Fred Zollner remained a virtual part of the development of the league as he helps provide transportation arrangements for the entire league. In their first year in the BAA the Pistons would struggle finishing in fifth place in the Western Division with a record of 22-38, missing the playoffs. Following the season five more NBL teams would join the league, which would be rechristened the NBA as the merger was completed.

  • Fort Wayne Pistons 1957

    Moving to Detroit

    Though the Pistons enjoyed a solid local following, Fort Wayne’s small size made it difficult for them to be profitable, especially as other early NBA teams based in smaller cities started folding or relocating to larger markets. After the 1956 – 1957 season, Zollner decided that Fort Wayne was too small to support an NBA team and announced the team would be playing elsewhere in the coming season. He ultimately settled on Detroit. Although it was the fifth largest city in the United States at the time, Detroit had not seen professional basketball in a decade. In 1947, they had lost the Detroit Gems of the NBL (whose remnants became the Minneapolis Lakers), and the Detroit Falcons of the BAA. Zollner decided to keep the Pistons name, believing it made sense given Detroit’s status as the center of the automobile industry.

Pistons Primary Logo

In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table.

Established
1941

City
Fort Wayne
- Detroit

League History
1949 – Present / National Basketball Association
1948 – 1949 / Basketball Association of America

1941 – 1948 / National Basketball League

Team History
1957 – Present / Detroit Pistons
1948 – 1957  / Fort Wayne Pistons

1941 – 1948 / Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons

Nickname
Pistons - Originally the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the teams name comes from team owner Frank Zollners piston manufacturing company. Owners Fred Zollner and his sister Janet’s Zollner Corporation was a foundry, manufacturing pistons, primarily for car, truck and locomotive engines.

Championship
NBA Championships 0
2004, 1990, 1989

Arena
2016 – Present / Little Caesars Arena
1988 – 2016 / The Palace of Auburn Hills
1978 – 1988 / Pontiac Silverdome
1961 – 1978 / Cobo Arena
1957 – 1961 / Olympia Stadium

*Fort Wayne*
1952 – 1957 / Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
1941 – 1952 / North Side High School Gym

Owner
2011 – Present / Tom Gores
2009 – 2011 / Karen Davidson
1974 – 2009 / William Davidson
1941 – 1974 / Fred Zollner

Who is the greatest Fort Wayne Pistons/Zollner Pistons?

  • Add your greatest player

Retired Number
1 Chauncey Billups
2 Chuck Daly
3 Ben Wallace
4 Joe Dumars
10 Dennis Rodman
11 Isiah Thomas
15 Vinnie Johnson
16 Bob Lanier
21 Dave Bing
32 Richard Hamilton
40 Bill Laimbeer
– William Davidson
– Jack McCloskey

Mascot
1996 – Present / Hooper
Unknown – 1996 / Sir Slam A Lot

*Blue is this team’s history

Pistons History Comments

 

 

Summary
Fort Wayne Pistons Team History
Article Name
Fort Wayne Pistons Team History
Team Description
In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
Author
Sports Team History
Team Name
Fort Wayne Pistons
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Atlanta Hawks
      • Back
      • St. Louis Hawks
      • Milwaukee Hawks
      • Tri-City Blackhawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
      • Back
      • New Jersey Nets
      • New York Nets
      • New Jersey Americans
  • Charlotte Hornets
      • Back
      • Charlotte Bobcats
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
      • Back
      • Denver Rockets
  • Detroit Pistons
      • Back
      • Fort Wayne Pistons
      • Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
      • Back
      • San Francisco Warriors
      • Philadelphia Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
      • Back
      • San Diego Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
      • Back
      • San Diego Clippers
      • Buffalo Braves
  • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Back
      • Minneapolis Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
      • Back
      • Vancouver Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
      • Back
      • New Orleans Hornets
      • Charlotte Hornets
  • New York Knickerbockers
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Back
      • Seattle Supersonics
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Back
      • Syracuse Nationals
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trailblazers
  • Sacramento Kings
      • Back
      • Kansas City Kings
      • Cincinnati Royals
      • Rochester Royals
  • San Antonio Spurs
      • Back
      • Texas Chaparrals
      • Dallas Chaparrals
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
      • Back
      • New Orleans Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
      • Back
      • Washington Bullets
      • Capital Bullets
      • Baltimore Bullets
      • Chicago Zephyrs
      • Chicago Packers
  • Past Teams
      • Back
      • Baltimore Bullets 1949
      • Chicago Stags
      • Cleveland Rebels
      • Denver Nuggets 1948
      • Detroit Falcons
      • Pittsburgh Ironmen
      • Providence Steamrollers
      • St. Louis Bombers
      • Toronto Huskies
      • Washington Capitols

Sports Logo History Blog

  • Sports Logo History
  • Sports Logo Battle
  • About Sports Team History
  • Facebook Sports Logo History Group
  • Disclaimer

Sports Team History

  • Nearly a Decade After “The Decision,” NBA Super Teams Trend Still Going Strong
  • Monday Night Football’s Evolution Continues Nearly 50 Years After it Started
  • Over 60 Years Ago the Dodgers and Giants Left New York
  • Raiders One-Year Stadium, Where Will it Be?
  • New Seattle Team – Seattle Krakens? Metropolitans? Rainiers?
Designed by Hoops Ministry
© 2013 - 2019 Sports Team History
Top