Mike Levin: “last night before 22,000 fans, a gritty bunch of Detroit Pistons achieved one of the biggest championship basketball…”

“last night before 22,000 fans, a gritty bunch of Detroit Pistons achieved one of the biggest championship basketball upsets in history. In a league that has long emphasized the role of its star players, the Detroit Pistons bring to mind another famous team, the 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal hockey team, and remind us that teamwork, perseverance, desire, and defense win championships. The Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars and his staff, with the full and total support of the owner Bill Davidson, put together a team not built around one or two superstars but on the solid play of all of its members. In their effort to build a team that could advance through the playoffs and win a championship, the Pistons made a midseason trade for Rasheed Wallace, a talented and multidimensional power forward. In a league where bold season-changing trades are rare, this move gave the Pistons a potent front court scoring option and another rebounding and shot blocking presence to compliment two-time defensive player of the year Ben Wallace. Throughout the series the Pistons were the true definition of a team, with each and every Piston contributing in some way during their run for the championship. NBA finals MVP Chauncey Billups, who has played for five teams in his short career, looked at home with the Pistons and played a stellar series on both ends of the court.”