Drew Sharp has a great article in the Detroit Free Press today on the birth of the “Detroit Bad Boys” nickname in 1988:
“It just came up in discussion,” said Don Sperling of NBA Entertainment, the league’s marketing branch that produced a video of the Pistons’ 1987-88 run to the brink of its first league championship.
“We’re talking about possible titles,” Sperling recalled, “and somebody came up with the phrase ‘Bad Boys.’ And if there was ever an occasion when a concept just immediately clicked, that was it. We thought it was perfect. The Pistons thought it was perfect. But little did anybody realize the staying power it would have — even to this day.
“I still catch hell from people for it.”
But its legacy endures as one of the great sports marketing brands.
If you see Rasheed Wallace walking around with a wooden stake tonight, now you know why:
Tonight’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals marks the first time since June 3, 1988, at the Silverdome that these teams met on the floor with a berth in the NBA Finals at stake.
Dumars remembers that night well.
The Pistons held a 3-2 series lead. Laimbeer walked into the locker room prior to the game with a wooden stake. The message was that the devil is never dead until the stake is driven through its heart.
The Pistons won, 95-90.
Bird and Kevin McHale left the floor before time expired. McHale congratulated both Laimbeer and Thomas, telling them not to be satisfied for merely clearing the hurdle that finally got them to the NBA Finals.
Nobody ever remembers that last part! Everybody always talks about how the Pistons snubbed the Bulls by walking off before time expired in 1992 1991 without faulting the Celtics for starting the ugly little tradition.
In any case, read the whole article; I rarely find Sharp’s columns worth linking here, but this is an exception, whether you’re a nostalgia addict like myself or simply someone looking for perspective on what this rivalry used to mean.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?page=ScoutingPistonsCeltics
Pistons in 6!!!
It was 1991.
And Bird walking off the floor doesn’t make it right. To say nothing of the fact that McHale’s encouragement was one of the cooler things I’ve ever seen at the end of an NBA game.
KD: agreed on all counts. I’m just saying that the Bad Boys era Pistons were always roasted for their lack of sportsmanship when they didn’t deserve to be the only target. I was happy to see Dumars play the role of McHale when Isiah and Laimbeer walked off.
Get ready to see a three team game tonight; we drew Crawford as a referee.
Good thing we didn’t get our nickname during the “flaming pony” teal years! Gad, what might we have been called?
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080520&sportCat=nba&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
It pains me how accurate that article is.
Man, Scoop nailed it. I fully resonate with this article. It just hurts to be a Pistons fan sometimes. Too often, really, given our talent.
But I am optimistic about this year. Call it homer-ism, but I just can’t shake the feeling that this is our year.
We need Sheed to be professional. And hungry. And on fire in the post.
We need Tay to be a defensive phenom on Pierce. And to have enough offense to keep them guessing.
We need Chauncey to be hungry, healthy, and husky. Yes, husky. He needs to own Rondo.
We need Rip to run. Run some more. Run even more. And shoot a high percentage. (Oh yeah, and stick to the plan: run-catch-shoot. Minimal dribbling.)
We need Dice to be mad, energetic on the boards, and to get his 10 to 15 points.
We need Max to feast.
We need to bench to be efficient and energetic.
Long live the Pistons.
*the bench
Here’s the difference with these Pistons v. the previous 2 years’ Pistons … Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey getting significant minutes instead of Tony Delk or Chris Webber (or even Flip Murray). We’re not giving serious minutes to broken-down has-beens and chemistry killers. This team has one goal: win. This team is also willing and physically able through great rest to do everything it takes to get it done. Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey will do a lot to unwind the “same old flip the switch mentality Pistons” that Scoop Jackson discusses.
“McHale congratulated both Laimbeer and Thomas, telling them not to be satisfied for merely clearing the hurdle that finally got them to the NBA Finals.”
If I remember correctly, McHale’s exact words were “kick their f*cking ass!” with “they” being the Lakers. Which is awesome.