Ben Wallace, the heart of the Pistons' legendary defense.
The greatest team-basketball story of the modern NBA. A blue-collar collective that proved you don't need a superstar. Five starters averaged 12-17 PPG. Ben Wallace won DPOY. Larry Brown's defense was suffocating.
Then they beat the Shaq-Kobe-Malone-Payton Lakers in five games in one of the most shocking Finals upsets in sports history. The Palace of Auburn Hills rocked. Goin' to Work towels waved. Basketball was still a team sport.
The season ended with Chauncey Billups lifting the Finals MVP trophy and a city celebrating the most improbable championship since the 1969 Mets. No Piston averaged more than 17.6 points per game. They won it together.
Season Trajectory
Bold = DET. Faded = key opponents. Dashed = .500
Key Players
Player
Stats
Note
#1
Chauncey Billups
PG / Finals MVP
16.9 PPG | 5.7 APG | 3.5 RPG
Mr. Big Shot. Clutch, composed, steadiest in the Finals.
#3
Ben Wallace
Center / DPOY
9.5 PPG | 12.4 RPG | 3.0 BPG
DPOY. Outplayed Shaq in the Finals.
#32
Rip Hamilton
Shooting Guard
17.6 PPG | 3.9 APG
Tireless. Wore defenders down through screens.
#36
Rasheed Wallace
PF / Wildcard
13.0 PPG | 6.3 RPG
The missing piece. Found purpose in Detroit.
#22
Tayshaun Prince
SF / Lockdown D
10.3 PPG | 4.6 RPG
Chase-down block on Reggie Miller became iconic.
Team Payroll
Total Payroll: $54.6M
Salary Cap: $43.8M
Luxury Tax: Yes
Mid-range payroll — won title on value
Player
Salary
Rasheed Wallace
$17.1M
Ben Wallace
$7.0M
Rip Hamilton
$5.5M
Chauncey Billups
$4.5M
Tayshaun Prince
$1.3M
The Season, Month by Month
Oct-Dec 2003
Building the Machine
Rasheed Wallace found his basketball home in Detroit.
Rasheed Wallace integrated. Pistons open as a defensive juggernaut. The balanced five confounds opponents.
