“Thank you we led the league in attendance because of fans like you!”: Isiah Thomas reminisces the good old Pistons days, as a fan shares a beautiful memory from the Bad Boys era

The Detroit Pistons’ rise and fall from being one of the top teams in the NBA have fans and legends like Isiah Thomas equally troubled.

The Detroit Pistons once ruled the NBA and had some of the most feared teams. Since the “Bad Boys” era started in the 80s, the rise in the basketball scene in Detroit was detrimental to the betterment of the sport. Before that, the league was mostly dependent on Lakers–Celtics games.

The foundation laid by Isiah Thomas‘ team led the Pistons to become one of the top NBA teams for attendance years later, averaging roughly 889,945 fans per season during 2003-2009.

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The Pistons were some of the dominant NBA franchises from 1983 to 2008, winning three titles in 21 playoff appearances and making six conference finals. But the franchise has abandoned its foundation and suffered for it over the last decade, only making the playoffs twice in the last 12-years.

They consistently have the poorest of attendance in the NBA for more than a decade. And the club legend, Zeke, isn’t much prouder of the fact.

Isiah Thomas goes down the memory lane to the good old Detroit days

It’s been almost 3 decades since the unarguable GOAT of the Detroit Pistons, Isiah Thomas, called it a day in his playing career. But this last decade or so has been the most daunting for the Detroit basketball fans. And who better than Thomas to understand the expectations and frustrations from the fans.

Thank you we led the league in attendance because of fans like you! https://t.co/P2BmUYOyUh

— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) January 10, 2022

Zeke played the biggest of roles in arguably the greatest era of Basketball history. Then became the coach of the Pistons from the turn of the century and laid down the foundation for it to again take back the crown of the most feared team in the league. So, he knows a thing or two about getting the fans involved.

“Two things happen – you get your as# beat, and your fan base 100% rejects you,” Thomas said a few months back.

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The Pistons selected Cade Cunningham first overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and want to build a tough, defensive roster to match the “Bad Boys” era. If they even start making it to the Playoffs, it’d be a good start to get some fans back in the building.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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