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. 1957–1981: Decades of struggles ĭave Bing joined the team in 1966, scoring 1,601 points in his rookie year. However, they were defeated by the Philadelphia Warriors in five games. In the following season, the Pistons made it back to the NBA Finals.
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The closing moments included a palming turnover by the Pistons' George Yardley with 18 seconds left, a foul by Frank Brian with 12 seconds left that enabled King's winning free throw, and a turnover by the Pistons' Andy Phillip in the final seconds which cost them a chance to attempt the game winning shot. The Nationals won on a free throw by George King with 12 seconds left in the game. In the decisive Game 7, the Pistons led 41–24 early in the second quarter before the Nationals rallied to win the game. In particular, there are accusations that the team may have intentionally lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals. There are suggestions that Pistons players conspired with gamblers to shave points and throw various games during the 1953––55 seasons. In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table. In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons and jumped to the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
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They also won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1944, 19. The Zollner Pistons were NBL champions in 19.
In 1941, the Zollner Pistons shed their works team roots and joined the National Basketball League (NBL).
In 1937, Zollner sponsored a semi-professional company basketball team called the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons after he received a request from his workers. 1.9 2017: Returning to downtown Detroitįranchise history 1937–1957: Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons įred Zollner owned the Zollner Corporation, a foundry that manufactured pistons, primarily for car, truck, and locomotive engines in Fort Wayne, Indiana.