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Fort Wayne Pistons Team History

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Fort Wayne Pistons




  • 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 to finish in fifth place in the Western Division ...
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  • 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 ...
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History of the Pistons

The Fort Wayne Pistons were one of the original members of the National Basketball Association (NBA) when it was founded in 1946. The team had a long and successful history, winning two championships during their tenure in the league. They also produced some of basketball's greatest players, including Hall-of-Famers George Yardley and Bob Cousy.

The Pistons played at North Side High School gymnasium for most of their time in Fort Wayne before moving to Detroit after the 1957 season due to financial difficulties. During those 11 seasons, they made six playoff appearances and won two NBA Championships (1955 & 1956). In addition to these successes on the court, many notable figures from basketball’s early days spent time with the organization such as Bill Sharman, Larry Foust, Andy Phillip, and Dick McGuire who all eventually entered into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame as coaches or players later on the down line.

In 1987 an effort began by local fans called “Bring Back The Pistons” aimed at bringing professional basketball back to Ft Wayne but unfortunately never materialized due to lack of funding or political willpower needed to achieve that goal. Regardless, Fort Wayne pistons remain a part important piece of NBA history having been the first-ever franchise to become a member association over 70 years ago now. Though they no longer exist in physical form, legacy Fort Wayne pistons live through hall farmers they produced well achievements earned while playing under banner city Fort Wayne Indiana.





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

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

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

*Blue is this team’s history

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