Joseph Knollenberg: “I rise to congratulate the Detroit Pistons. Tuesday night, playing at the Palace of Auburn Hills in my district, the…”

“I rise to congratulate the Detroit Pistons. Tuesday night, playing at the Palace of Auburn Hills in my district, the Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 2004 NBA championship. From top to bottom, the Pistons were a model of teamwork and dedication. Owner Bill Davidson provided the foundation for the Pistons' championship and has been a positive member of the Detroit and southeast Michigan community for years. President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars built this team and coach Larry Brown molded the Piston players into a cohesive, team-first group. This has been a very exciting season for the people of Michigan. They have embraced the Pistons, as millions outside of Michigan have. Fans identified with this team. The Pistons represented core American values of hard work, persevering through difficult times, and sharing both success and failures with family and loved ones. I want to thank the Pistons and everyone in their organization for giving us from Michigan a team to be proud of.”