document_title: Fifty Shades of Grey (film)

question_text: when did filming start for fifty shades of grey

text: Fifty Shades of Grey (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Twenty-one-year-old Anastasia "Ana" Steele is an English literature major at Washington State University's ("WSU") satellite campus near Vancouver, Washington. When her roommate, Kate Kavanagh, becomes ill and is unable to interview Christian Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire entrepreneur, for the college newspaper, Ana agrees to go in her place. At Christian's Seattle headquarters called Grey House, Ana stumbles her way through the meeting. Christian, who is that year's WSU commencement speaker, takes an interest in her; soon after, he visits the hardware store where Ana works. He agrees to Ana's request for a photo shoot to accompany the article for which Ana had interviewed him.

text: Christian invites Ana for coffee, but he leaves abruptly, saying he is not the man for her. Christian later sends Ana first edition copies of two Thomas Hardy novels, including Tess of the d'Urbervilles, as a gift.

text: Ana and her friends celebrate graduation at a local bar. After drinking too much, Ana spontaneously calls Christian, saying she is returning the books and berates his behavior towards her. Christian goes to the bar and finds Ana, who passes out. She wakes up the next morning in Christian's hotel room, relieved that they were not intimate.

text: Ana and Christian begin seeing each other, though he insists that she sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing her from revealing details about their dalliance. Christian explains that he only has interrelations involving bondage that is clearly defined in a signed contract. Ana reveals that she is a virgin. While considering the agreement and negotiating her own terms, and after visiting his "playroom", a room stocked with a variety of BDSM toys, furniture, and gear, she and Christian have sex.

text: Christian bestows Ana with gifts and favors, such as a new car and laptop computer. After Ana and Kate move to Seattle, Ana continues seeing Christian. During dinner at Christian's parents, Ana suddenly mentions she is leaving the next day to visit her mother in Georgia. Later, Christian becomes frustrated when Ana expresses she wants more than the one-sided relationship he proposes. She is shocked when Christian unexpectedly arrives in Georgia, they have sex again but he leaves soon afterward, to tend to an emergency in Seattle.

text: After returning home, Ana continues seeing Christian, who wants further sexual experimentation. Ana initially consents, but Christian keeps emotionally distant, upsetting her. While still considering the contract, and in an effort to understand Christian psychologically, Ana asks him to demonstrate how he would "punish" her for rule breaking. Christian whips Ana's buttocks six times with a belt. Upset and disgusted, Ana breaks up with Christian after concluding that he is wrong for her and his practices border on being deviant and excessive.

text: In an alternative ending, both Ana and Christian experience flashbacks. Christian jogs in the rain, while Ana sobs in her apartment. Christian encounters a gift Ana gave him with the note: "This reminded me of a happy time. —Ana".[6]

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Dakota Johnson as Anastasia 'Ana' Steele, a 21-year-old English Literature student attending Washington State University.
Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire, entrepreneur, and CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
Eloise Mumford as Katherine "Kate" Kavanagh,[7] Anastasia's best friend/roommate who begins a relationship with Christian's older brother, Elliot Grey.
Jennifer Ehle as Carla Wilks,[8] Anastasia's mother.
Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey,[9] Christian Grey's adoptive mother.
Victor Rasuk as Jose Rodriguez,[10] one of Anastasia's close friends.
Luke Grimes as Elliot Grey,[11] Christian's adopted older brother.
Rita Ora as Mia Grey,[12] Christian's adopted younger sister.
Max Martini as Jason Taylor,[13] Christian's bodyguard and head of his security.
Callum Keith Rennie as Ray Steele, Anastasia's father.[14]
Andrew Airlie as Carrick Grey, Christian's adoptive father.
Dylan Neal as Bob Adams,[15] Anastasia's stepfather.
Anthony Konechny as Paul Clayton, the brother of the owner of Clayton's Hardware Store.
Emily Fonda as Martina
Rachel Skarsten as Andrea,[16] Christian's assistant

text: Production[edit]

text: By early 2013, several Hollywood studios were keen to obtain film rights to The New York Times bestselling Fifty Shades trilogy of novels.[17] Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, Universal, and Mark Wahlberg's production company submitted bids for the film rights.[18][19] Universal Pictures and Focus Features secured the rights to the trilogy in March 2013.[5] Author James sought to retain some control during the movie's creative process.[20] James chose The Social Network producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti to produce the film.[4][21]

text: Although American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis publicly expressed his desire to write the screenplay for Fifty Shades of Grey,[22] Kelly Marcel, screenwriter of Saving Mr. Banks, was hired for the job.[23] Patrick Marber was brought in by Taylor-Wood to polish the screenplay, specifically to do some "character work".[24] Universal hired Mark Bomback for script doctoring.[25] Mark Bridges served as the costume designer.[26] Entertainment Weekly estimated the film's budget as "$40 million-or-so".[27]

text: Direction[edit]

text: By May 9, 2013, the studio was considering Joe Wright to direct,[28] but this proved unworkable due to Wright's schedule.[29] Other directors who had been under consideration included Patty Jenkins, Bill Condon, Bennett Miller, and Steven Soderbergh.[30] In June 2013, E. L. James announced Sam Taylor-Johnson would direct the film adaptation.[31] Johnson was paid over $2 million for directing the film.[32]

text: 9½ Weeks, Last Tango in Paris, and Blue Is the Warmest Colour were all cited by Taylor-Johnson as inspirations for the film.[33]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Bret Easton Ellis stated that Robert Pattinson had been James's first choice for the role of Christian Grey,[34] but James felt that casting Pattinson and his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart in the film would be "weird".[35] Ian Somerhalder and Chace Crawford both expressed interest in the role of Christian.[36][37] Somerhalder later admitted if he had been considered, the filming process would ultimately have conflicted with his shooting schedule for The CW's series The Vampire Diaries.[38] On September 2, 2013, James revealed that Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson had been cast as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, respectively.[39] The short list of other actresses considered for the role of Anastasia included Alicia Vikander, Imogen Poots, Elizabeth Olsen, Shailene Woodley, and Felicity Jones.[40] Keeley Hazell auditioned for an unspecified role.[41] Lucy Hale also auditioned for the film.[42] Emilia Clarke was also offered the role of Anastasia but turned down the part because of the nudity required.[43] Taylor-Johnson would give every actress who auditioned for the role of Anastasia four pages to read of a monologue from Ingmar Bergman's Persona.[33]

text: The studio originally wanted Ryan Gosling for Christian, but he was not interested in the role.[40] Garrett Hedlund was also considered, but he could not connect with the character.[40] Stephen Amell said he would not have wanted to play the role of Grey because "I actually didn't find him to be that interesting ... nothing about Christian Grey really spoke to me."[44] Hunnam initially turned down the role of Christian but later reconsidered it, following a meeting with studio heads.[45] Hunnam said of the audition process: "I felt really intrigued and excited about it so I went and read the first book to get a clearer idea of who this character was, and I felt even more excited at the prospect of bringing him to life. We [Taylor-Johnson and I] kind of both suggested I do a reading with Dakota, who was her favorite, and as soon as we got in the room and I started reading with Dakota I knew that I definitely wanted to do it. There's just like a tangible chemistry between us. It felt exciting and fun and weird and compelling."[46] In response to the negative fan reaction the casting drew, producer Dana Brunetti said: "There is a lot that goes into casting that isn't just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actor, etc. So if your favorite wasn't cast, then it is most likely due to something on that list. Keep that in mind while hating and keep perspective."[47]

text: During October 2013, actress Jennifer Ehle was in talks for the role of Anastasia's mother Carla.[8] On October 12, 2013, Universal Pictures announced that Hunnam had exited the film due to conflicts with the schedule of his FX series Sons of Anarchy.[48] Alexander Skarsgård, Jamie Dornan, Theo James, François Arnaud, Scott Eastwood, Luke Bracey, and Billy Magnussen were at the top of the list to replace Hunnam as Christian Grey.[49][50] Finally, on October 23, 2013, Dornan was cast as Christian Grey.[51] On October 31, 2013, Victor Rasuk was cast as José Rodriguez, Jr.[10] On November 22, 2013, Eloise Mumford was cast as Kate Kavanagh.[7] On December 2, 2013, singer Rita Ora was cast as Christian's younger sister Mia.[52] Ora originally wanted to work on the soundtrack.[53] On December 3, 2013, Marcia Gay Harden was cast as Christian's mother, Grace.[9]

text: Filming[edit]

text: In September, filming was scheduled to start on November 5, 2013, in Vancouver, British Columbia.[54] The following month, producer Michael De Luca announced filming would begin on November 13, 2013.[55]

text: Principal photography was again delayed and eventually started on December 1, 2013.[56] Scenes were filmed in the Gastown district of Vancouver.[57] Bentall 5 was used as the Grey Enterprises building.[58][59]

text: The University of British Columbia serves as Washington State University Vancouver, from which Ana graduates.[60] The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver was used as the Heathman Hotel.[61][62]

text: The film was also shot at the North Shore Studios.[63] The production officially ended on February 21, 2014.[64] Reshoots involving scenes between Dornan and Johnson took place in Vancouver during the week of October 13, 2014.[65] The film was shot under the working title "The Adventures of Max and Banks."[66]

text: Music[edit]

text: James said that the film's soundtrack would be released on February 10, 2015.[67][68] The first single, "Earned It", by The Weeknd, was released on December 24, 2014.[69] On January 7, 2015, the second single, "Love Me like You Do" by Ellie Goulding was released, later reaching the top three on the Billboard Hot 100, and becoming a hit for the soundtrack.[70] A promotional single, "Salted Wound" by Australian recording artist Sia, was released on January 27, 2015.[71] To date, the soundtrack has sold 516,000 copies in the United States.[72]

text: Release[edit]

text: In February 2013, Universal chairman Adam Fogelson said the film "could be ready to release ... as early as next summer."[73] The studio initially announced an August 1, 2014, release.[74] However, in November 2013, it was pushed back to February 13, 2015, in time for Valentine's Day.[75] Fifty Shades of Grey was first screened at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on February 11, 2015.[76] The film was released in 75 IMAX screens across the US on February 13, 2015.[77][78]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: On January 25, 2014, more than a year prior to release, Universal displayed posters with the phrase, "Mr. Grey will see you now", in five locations across the United States.[79] On February 14, 2014, the first photograph of Johnson as Anastasia was released.[80] On June 18, 2014, the film's official Twitter account released the first still of Dornan as Christian in honor of Christian's birthday.[81]

text: On July 9, 2014, the book's author, E. L. James, said on Twitter that the film's trailer would be released on July 24, 2014.[82] Beyoncé debuted a teaser for the trailer on her Instagram account five days before the trailer's release.[83] On July 24, Dornan and Johnson were on The Today Show to present part of the trailer appropriate for morning television; the full trailer, which contained more racy scenes, was released later the same day on the internet (200 days before its initial theatrical release). The trailer featured a new version of "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé, which was scored and arranged by her frequent collaborator Boots.[84][85][86][87] The trailer was viewed 36.4 million times in the week after its July 24 release. This made it the most viewed trailer on YouTube in 2014, until it was surpassed in October by the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron.[88] However, in mid-December the trailer reached 93 million views and was again the most viewed of 2014.[89] The trailer accumulated over 100 million views in its first week of release through different channels and websites, becoming the biggest trailer ever released in history.[90] By February 2015, the trailer had been viewed more than 193 million times on YouTube alone.[91] And by late February, Fifty Shades of Grey related material garnered over 329 million views including 113 million views for its official trailer.[87] A second trailer was released on November 13, 2014.[92] A third trailer aired during Super Bowl XLIX, on February 1, 2015.[93]

text: The film was promoted through an ad campaign that asked people whether they were "curious".[94] Nick Carpou, Universal's president of domestic distribution, said: "Our campaign gave people permission to see the film."[95] "Valentines is a big deal for couples and a great relationship event, and the date with the long Presidents Day weekend created a perfect storm for us. This date positioned us to take full advantage of the romance angle, which is how we sold the film in our marketing campaign," he said.[96]

text: Rating and censorship[edit]

text: There was initial speculation that the film could receive an NC-17 rating in the United States. Studios typically steer away from the adults-only rating due to the impact the classification has on a film's commercial viability, with some theater chains refusing to exhibit NC-17-rated films. While screenwriter Marcel said she expected the film to be NC-17-rated,[97] producer De Luca anticipated the less restrictive R rating.[98] On January 5, 2015, the MPAA did give the film an R rating, basing its decision on "strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and language."[99]

text: On January 30, in Australia, the film was rated MA15+ by the ACB for "strong sex scenes, sexual themes and nudity".[100] On February 2, 2015, the British BBFC classified the film an 18 certificate, mentioning "strong sex".[2] In Canada, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia, the film was rated at 18A by the OFRB, MFCB, AFR, and BCFCO, respectively, due to its "occasional upsetting or disturbing scenes, and partial or full nudity in a brief sexual situation."[101][102] In Quebec, the Régie du cinéma rated the movie under the 16+ category for its eroticism.[103] In France, the film earned a 12 rating.[104] In Lebanon, the film earned an NC-21 rating.[105] In Argentina, the Advisory Commission of Cinematographic Exhibition (the rating arm of the INCAA) rated the film SAM16/R.[106]

text: Anti-pornography watchdog group Morality in Media argued that the film's R rating "severely undermines the violent themes in the film and does not adequately inform parents and patrons of the film's content", and that the MPAA was encouraging sexual violence by letting the film by without an NC-17 rating.[107][108]

text:
The film was scheduled for a February 12, 2015, release in Malaysia, but it was denied a certificate by the Malaysian Film Censorship Board (LPF) for its "unnatural" and "sadistic" content. The LPF chairman, Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, said Fifty Shades was "more pornography than a movie."[109][110]
The film was also banned in Indonesia,[111] Kenya,[111] Russia's North Caucasus,[112] the United Arab Emirates (UAE),[113] Papua New Guinea,[114] Cambodia,[115] and India.[116] The film was released in Nigeria for a week, before being removed from cinemas by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).[117] Studios will not pursue a theatrical release in China.[111]

text: The film's sex scenes were censored after protests from various religious groups in the Philippines, and as a result it is in limited release in that country with an R-18 rating from the MTRCB.[110] A similarly cut version was released in Zimbabwe.[118]

text: Roughly 20 minutes were cut from the film for screening in Vietnam, leaving no sex scenes. The scene in which Ana is beaten with a belt is skipped entirely.[119]

text: Opposition campaign[edit]

text: On January 28, 2015, a campaign in the United States by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation started two petitions to boycott the film's release. Their website makes more than 50 allegations that the film has a negative impact on the community. It said, "Hollywood is advertising the Fifty Shades story as an erotic love affair, but it is really about sexual abuse and violence against women. The porn industry has poised men and women to receive the message that sexual violence is enjoyable. Fifty Shades models this porn message and Hollywood cashes the check."[120] By February 7, one of the petitions had garnered more than 53,000 signatures.[121]

text: On February 2, in Michigan, a man petitioned to halt the film's release at a local Celebration! Cinema. Despite the man's efforts, the president of the cinemas declined to cancel the release of the film. He said, "We've been in business for 70 years and people often times object to content, and it's not our job to censor the content of a widespread movie. It's not in our best interest. It's not in the community's best interest." The film sold 3,000 tickets before the release and was expected to sell a total of 10,000 tickets.[122][123]

text: The American Family Association called for theaters not to show the film: "The irony is not lost that the film's main character is named, 'Christian,' while this film presents anything but a 'Christian' view of intimacy ... It is the epitome of elevating abuse, and we call on all theaters to reject promoting such abuse on their screens."[124]

text: Thomas Williams of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture commented on the release of the film in the United States on Valentine's Day, stating "The irony of Universal Pictures' decision to release its bondage-erotica film Fifty Shades of Grey on the day dedicated to honoring a Christian martyr has not gone unnoticed to many observers, who seem to find the choice unclassy at best."[125]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Fifty Shades of Grey was released via DVD and Blu-ray on May 8, 2015. The Blu-ray edition features an unrated cut of the film;[126] the version includes an additional three minutes of footage, the bulk of which are in the form of an alternate ending.

text: Upon its release on home media in the U.S., the film topped both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined Blu-ray Disc and DVD sales, as well as the Blu-ray Disc sales chart for two consecutive weeks up to the week ending May 17, 2015.[127]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Fifty Shades of Grey grossed $166.2 million in North America and $404.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $571 million, against a budget of $40 million.[3] It is currently the fourth-highest-grossing film directed by a woman (behind  Mamma Mia!, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Wonder Woman),[128] and at the time of the end of it's theatrical run, it was the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (behind The Hangover Part II, The Passion of the Christ, and The Matrix Reloaded).[129] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $256.55 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film.[130]

text: Tickets went on sale in the United States from January 11, 2015.[91] According to ticket-selling site Fandango, Fifty Shades of Grey is the fastest-selling R-rated title in the site's 15-year history, surpassing Sex and the City 2.[131] It also had the biggest first week of ticket sales on Fandango for a non-sequel film, surpassing 2012's The Hunger Games.[131][132] It is fourth overall on Fandango's list of top advance ticket sales behind The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, and The Hunger Games.[133] The demand prompted US theater owners to add new showtimes.[131][134] Weeks before the film's release, several box office analysts suggested as much as a $60 million domestic four-day opening[91][135][136][137][138] while Box Office Mojo reported that a $100 million opening could be possible.[139]

text: Outside the United States, Fifty Shades of Grey pre-sold 4.5 million tickets in 39 markets.[140] In the UK, it sold £1.3 million ($1.9 million) worth of tickets a week before release.[141] On release, it set several records at the box office, including:

text:
Box office record

Record details

Previous record holder

Previous record holder details

Ref(s)

February opening weekend

$85,171,450

The Passion of the Christ

(2004, $83.8 million)

[142]

President's Day 4-Day opening weekend for any film

$93,010,350

Valentine's Day

(2010, $63.1 million)

[143]

President's Day 4-Day weekend for any film

$93,010,350

Valentine's Day

(2010, $63.1 million)

[143]

Widest R-rated opening

3,646 theaters

The Hangover Part II

(2011, 3,615 theaters)

[144]

Valentine's Day gross

$36,752,460

Valentine's Day

(2010, $23,392,046)

[145][146]

Opening weekend for a female directed film

$85,171,450

Twilight

(2008, $69,637,740)

[147]

Overseas opening weekend for an R-rated film

$156 million

The Matrix Revolutions

(2003, $117 million)

[148]

Highest-grossing Universal's R-rated film overseas

$385.1 million

Ted

(2012, $330 million)

[149]

text: North America[edit]

text: In the U.S. and Canada, it is the highest-grossing sex film,[150] the seventeenth highest-grossing film of 2015,[151] and the fourth-highest-grossing romantic film of all time.[152] It opened in the U.S. and Canada simultaneously with Kingsman: The Secret Service on Thursday, February 12, 2015, across 2,830 theaters[153][154] and was widened to 3,646 theaters the next day making it the widest R-rated opening (surpassed by Mad Max: Fury Road),[155] and the fourth-widest R-rated release of all time.[156] It earned $8.6 million from Thursday night previews which is the second-highest late-night gross for a film released in February (behind Deadpool) and the third-highest for an R-rated film (behind Deadpool and The Hangover Part II).[153][157] The film topped the box office on its opening day grossing $30.2 million (including Thursday previews) from 3,646 theaters setting a record for highest February opening day (previously held by The Passion of the Christ) and fourth-highest overall among R-rated films.[158][159] During its traditional three-day opening the film opened at No. 1 at the box office earning $85.1 million, setting records for the biggest opening weekend for a film released in February (a record previously held by The Passion of the Christ).[146] Women comprised 82% of the total audiences during its opening day,[160] and 68% on Valentine's Day.[161]

text: Revenue from the second weekend dropped massively by 73.9% to $22.25 million, which is the second-biggest drop for a 3,000-plus-screen release (only behind Friday the 13th's 80.4% drop) and the biggest for a 3,500-plus-screen release.[162][163][164] It is just the eighth film to open on more than 3,000 screens to drop by 70% or more.[165] The film topped the box office for two consecutive weekends before falling to No. 4 in its third weekend while Focus took the top spot.[166][167]

text: Outside North America[edit]

text: Outside the U.S. and Canada, box office analysts were predicting as much as $158 million opening.[168][169][170] It opened Wednesday, February 11, 2015, in 4 countries, earning $3.7 million.[171] It opened in 34 more countries on February 12, earning $28.6 million in two days.[172] The film set opening-day records for Universal Pictures in 25 markets and opening day records for an R-rated film in 34 territories.[169][170] Through Sunday, February 15, it earned an opening-weekend total of $156 million from 58 countries from 10,979 screens ($173.6 million through Monday) where it opened at No. 1 in 54 of the 58 countries, marking the biggest overseas opening for an R-rated film, the fourth-biggest of 2015, and Universal's third-biggest overseas opening weekend ever.[148] The film set an all-time opening record in 13 markets, Universal's biggest opening weekend ever in 30 markets and biggest opening for any R-rated film in 31 markets.[148]

text: The biggest opener outside of the United States was witnessed in the UK, Ireland and Malta, where it earned £13.55 million ($20.8 million) in its opening weekend, which is the biggest debut ever for an 18-rated film and the second-biggest for a non-sequel film (behind I Am Legend).[173][174] In just 10 days of release it became the highest-grossing 18-rated film of all time.[175] It topped the UK box office for two consecutive weekends.[176] Other high openings include Germany ($14.1 million), France ($12.3 million), Russia ($11 million), Italy ($10.1 million), Spain ($8.7 million), Brazil ($8.3 million), Mexico ($8.1 million), Australia ($8 million).[148] In Japan, the film was unsuccessful opening at No. 5 with $682,000 but falling out of the top 10 the following week.[177][178] The Hollywood Reporter cited out possible reasons for the film's failure, attributing it to the "delayed release of the new Japanese-language editions of the books, poor timing for the film release and an R-15, re-edit blurring out parts of the sex scenes."[179]

text: It topped the box office outside of North America for three consecutive weekends[180] until it was overtaken by Warner Bros.' Jupiter Ascending in its fourth weekend.[181] It became Universal Pictures' highest-grossing R-rated film of all time overseas (breaking Ted's record),[149] Universal Pictures' highest-grossing film in 14 countries,[nb 1] and Universal Pictures' eighth-highest-grossing film overseas.[182] In total earnings, its largest markets overseas are the UK, Ireland and Malta ($52.5 million), Germany ($43.7 million), Brazil, ($31.3 million), France ($29.5 million), and Spain ($22.6 million).[183][184][185]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Fifty Shades of Grey received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at its acting, screenplay, and pacing; however, some critics noted it as an improvement over the book, and others praised the cinematography and set design. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 25% based on 261 reviews, with an average rating of 4.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While creatively better endowed than its print counterpart, Fifty Shades of Grey is a less than satisfying experience on the screen."[186] The review aggregator website Metacritic gave the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[187] In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[188]

text: Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote that "the dialogue is laughable, the pacing is sluggish and the performances are one-note."[189] Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times wrote: "Fifty Shades of Grey the movie, for the record, is not quite as bad as Fifty Shades of Grey the book. But that's not saying much".[190] We Got This Covered critic Isaac Feldberg gave the film one and a half stars out of five and wrote that it "feels like two, distinct films grappling for dominance over the screen: one a sensual and stylish romance, and the other a numbingly explicit Harlequin bodice-ripper brought to life. Regrettably, the latter and lesser of the two ends up on top".[191] The Guardian lead film critic Peter Bradshaw gave the film one star out of five, calling it "the most purely tasteful and softcore depiction of sadomasochism in cinema history" with "strictly daytime soap" performances.[192] A. O. Scott of The New York Times called the movie "terrible", but wrote that "it might nonetheless be a movie that feels good to see, whether you squirm or giggle or roll your eyes or just sit still and take your punishment."[193]

text: In a positive review for The Daily Telegraph, Robbie Collin called the film "sexy, funny and self-aware in every way the original book isn't."[194] Elizabeth Weitzman of New York's Daily News praised the directing, screenplay, and Johnson's performance, but called Dornan's performance, the leads' chemistry, and the supporting cast "underused". She praised the film for honoring the essence of its source and the director's way of balancing "atmosphere with action".[195] In The Guardian, Jordan Hoffmann awarded the film three out of five stars, writing, "this big screen adaptation still manages to be about people, and even a little bit sweet", and that the sex scenes "are there to advance the plot, and only the most buttoned-up prude will be scandalised."[196] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B−, writing: "This perfectly normal way of consuming erotica suggests that the movie Fifty Shades of Grey will work better as home entertainment, when each viewer can race past the blah-blah about how well Christian plays the piano and pause on the fleeting image of the man minus his pants."[197] In The Sydney Morning Herald, Timothy Laurie and Jessica Kean argue that "the film provides a language for decision-making around violence more developed than most Hollywood fodder", and that "film fleshes out an otherwise legalistic concept like 'consent' into a living, breathing, and at times, uncomfortable interpersonal experience. It dramatises the dangers of unequal negotiation and the practical complexity of identifying one's limits and having them respected."[198]

text: Various critics have noted the similarities between Fifty Shades of Grey and Adrian Lyne's 9½ Weeks (1986).[199][200][201] Both films are literary adaptations, centering on a sadomasochistic affair.[202][203]

text: In an interview in June 2017, Taylor-Johnson later admitted to regretting directing the movie claiming that her differences with E. L. James caused her to walk away from the series.[204][205]

text: Like I mean truly horrible

text: Pornographic-adaptation lawsuit[edit]

text: In June 2012, the film company Smash Pictures announced its intent to film a pornographic version of the Fifty Shades trilogy, entitled Fifty Shades of Grey: An XXX Adaptation.[206] A release date of January 10, 2013, was announced.[207] In November 2012, Universal, which had secured the Fifty Shades film rights, filed a lawsuit against Smash Pictures, stating that the film violated its copyright in that it was not filmed as a parody adaptation but "copies without reservation from the unique expressive elements of the Fifty Shades trilogy, progressing through the events of Fifty Shades of Grey and into the second book, Fifty Shades Darker".[208]

text: The lawsuit asked for an injunction, for the profits from all sales of the film, as well as damages,[209] saying that "a quickly and cheaply produced pornographic work [...] is likely to cause Plaintiffs irreparable harm by poisoning public perception of the Fifty Shades Trilogy and the forthcoming Universal films."[210] Smash Pictures responded to the lawsuit by issuing a counterclaim and requesting a continuance, stating that "much or all" of the Fifty Shades material was part of the public domain because it was originally published in various venues as a fan fiction based on the Twilight series. A lawyer for Smash Pictures further commented that the federal copyright registrations for the books were "invalid and unenforceable" and that the film "did not violate copyright or trademark laws".[211] The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and Smash Pictures agreed to stop any further production or promotion of the film.[212]

text: Sequels[edit]

text: In April 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that E. L. James's husband, Niall Leonard, was enlisted to write the script for the film's sequel.[213] In the same month, at the 2015 Universal CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Universal announced the release dates of the sequels, with Fifty Shades Darker being released on February 10, 2017, and Fifty Shades Freed was released on February 9, 2018.[214] However, the sequels will not see Sam Taylor-Johnson returning as director.[215] On August 20, 2015, the U.S. House of Cards director James Foley was a frontrunner to direct the sequel.[216] In November 2015, Universal Studios announced that both films will be shot back-to-back.[217]

text: Parody[edit]

text: A spoof version of the film, Fifty Shades of Black, was released on January 29, 2016, in North America. Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez wrote the script, in which Wayans stars as Christian Black. The film was distributed by SquareOne Entertainment in Germany and Open Road Films in the United States;[218] IM Global produce and finance it, as well as handling international releases. Kali Hawk parodied the role of Anastasia Steele, with supporting cast including Affion Crockett, Mike Epps, Jane Seymour, and Fred Willard.[219] Principal photography began on August 11, 2015, in Los Angeles, with a production budget of around $5 million.[219][220]


document_title: List of current world boxing champions

question_text: current world heavyweight champion of the ibf wbo wba and ibo

root

text: List of current world boxing champions

text: Championships

text: When a champion, for reasons beyond his control such as an illness or injury, is unable to defend his title within the normal mandatory time, the sanctioning bodies may order an interim title bout and award the winner an interim championship. The WBA and WBC may change the status of their inactive champions to "Champion in Recess".

tag: p

text: World Boxing Association

text: The World Boxing Association (WBA) was founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA), a national regulating body of the United States. On August 23, 1962, the NBA became the WBA, which today has its head office in Panama.[6] According to WBA championship rules, when a champion also holds a title of one of the other three major sanctioning bodies in an equivalent weight division, that boxer is granted a special recognition of "Unified Champion", and is given more time between mandatory title defences. The WBA Championships Committee and President may also designate a champion as a "Super Champion" or "Undisputed Champion" in exceptional circumstances;[1] the standard WBA title is then vacated and contested between WBA-ranked contenders. When a WBA "Regular Champion" makes between five and ten successful defences, he may be granted the WBA "Super" title upon discretion of a vote of the WBA's board of governors.

text: World Boxing Council

text: The World Boxing Council (WBC) was founded in Mexico City, Mexico on February 14, 1963 in order to establish an international regulating body.[7] The WBC established many of today's safety measures in boxing, such as the standing eight count,[8] a limit of 12 rounds instead of 15, and additional weight divisions. More information about the WBC's titles including "Silver", "Diamond", "Emeritus", "Honorary", and "Supreme Champion" can be read at the WBC article.

text: International Boxing Federation

text: The International Boxing Federation (IBF) originated in September 1976 as the United States Boxing Association (USBA) when American members of the WBA withdrew in order to legitimize boxing in the United States with "unbiased" ratings.[9] In April 1983, the organization established an international division that was known as the United States Boxing Association-International (USBA-I).[9] In May 1984, the New Jersey-based USBA-I was renamed and became the IBF.[9]

text: World Boxing Organization

text: The World Boxing Organization (WBO) was founded in San Juan, Puerto Rico (which is a self-governing commonwealth of the United States) in 1988. In its early years the WBO's titles were not widely recognized. By 2012 when the Japan Boxing Commission officially recognized the governing body, it had gained similar status to the other three major sanctioning bodies. Its motto is "dignity, democracy, honesty."[10] When a WBO champion has reached "preeminent status", the WBO's Executive Committee may designate him as a "Super Champion".[11] However, this is only an honorary title and not the same as the WBA's policy of having separate "Super" and "Regular" champions. A WBO "Super Champion" cannot win or lose that recognition in the ring; it is merely awarded by the WBO.

text: The Ring

text: The boxing magazine The Ring maintains its own version of the lineal championship. The original sequence began from the magazine's first publication in the 1920s until the lineal championships were placed on hiatus in 1989, continuing as late as 1992 in some divisions. When The Ring started awarding titles again in 2001, it did not calculate retrospective lineages to fill in the gap years, instead nominating a new champion.[12] CBZ commented in 2004, "The Ring has forfeited its credibility by pulling names out of its ass to name fighters as champions".[13] In 2007, The Ring was acquired by the owners of fight promoter Golden Boy Promotions,[14] which has publicized The Ring's world championships when they are at stake in fights it promotes (such as Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy Jones Jr. in 2008).[15] Since 2012, to reduce the number of vacant titles, The Ring allows fights between a No. 1 or No. 2 contender and a No. 3, No. 4, or No. 5 contender to fill a vacant title. This has prompted further doubts about its credibility.[16][17][18]

text: Some boxing journalists have been extremely critical of the new championship policy and state that if this new policy is followed, the Ring title will lose the credibility it once held.[19][20][21]

text: Lineal

text: The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) was formed in October 2012 as a volunteer initiative to provide boxing with top-ten rankings, identify the singular world champion of every division.[22][23] Board membership includes fifty respected boxing journalists and record keepers from around the world who are uncompromised by sanctioning bodies and promoters.

text: The board was formed to continue where The Ring "left off" in the aftermath of its purchase by Golden Boy Promotions in 2007 and the following dismissal of the editorial board headed by Nigel Collins.[24] After the new editors announced a controversial new championship policy in May 2012,[25] three prominent members of the Ring Advisory Panel resigned. These three members (Springs Toledo, Cliff Rold and Tim Starks) became the founding members of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board,[26] which was formed over the summer of 2012 with the assistance of Stewart Howe of England. The board only awards vacant championships when the two top-ranked fighters in any division meet, and currently recognizes legitimate world champions or "true champions" in each weight class.[27]

text: Current champions

text: The current champions in each weight division are listed below. Each champion's professional boxing record is shown in the following format: wins–losses–draws–no contests (knockout wins).

text: Heavyweight (200+ lb/90.7+ kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Anthony Joshua
Super champion
 United Kingdom
21–0–0–0 (20)
April 29, 2017
Deontay Wilder
 United States
40–0–0–0 (39)
January 17, 2015
Anthony Joshua
 United Kingdom
21–0–0–0 (20)
April 9, 2016
Anthony Joshua
 United Kingdom
21–0–0–0 (20)
March 31, 2018
vacant
vacant

Manuel Charr
Regular champion
 Syria
31–4–0–0 (17)
November 25, 2017

tag: table

text: Cruiserweight (200 lb/90.7 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Murat Gassiev
Unified champion
 Russia
26–0–0–1 (19)
February 3, 2018
Oleksandr Usyk
 Ukraine
14–0–0–0 (11)
January 27, 2018
Murat Gassiev
 Russia
26–0–0–1 (19)
December 3, 2016
Oleksandr Usyk
 Ukraine
14–0–0–0 (11)
September 17, 2016
vacant
vacant

Arsen Goulamirian
Interim champion
 France
23–0–0–0 (15)
March 24, 2018

Denis Lebedev
Champion in recess
 Russia
30–2–0–1 (22)
February 1, 2018

text: Light heavyweight (175 lb/79.4 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Dmitry Bivol
 Russia
13–0–0–0 (11)
September 23, 2017
Adonis Stevenson
 Canada
29–1–1–0 (24)
June 8, 2013
Artur Beterbiev
 Russia
12–0–0–0 (12)
November 11, 2017
Sergey Kovalev
 Russia
32–2–1–0 (28)
November 25, 2017
vacant
Adonis Stevenson
 Canada
29–1–1–0 (24)
June 8, 2013

Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Interim champion
 Ukraine
15–0–0–0 (12)
March 17, 2018

text: Super middleweight (168 lb/76.2 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

George Groves
Super champion
 United Kingdom
28–3–0–0 (20)
May 27, 2017
David Benavidez
 United States
20–0–0–0 (17)
September 8, 2017
James DeGale
 United Kingdom
24–2–1–0 (14)
April 7, 2018
Gilberto Ramírez
 Mexico
37–0–0–0 (25)
April 9, 2016
vacant
vacant

Tyron Zeuge
Regular champion
 Germany
22–0–1–0 (12)
November 5, 2016
José Uzcátegui
Interim champion
 Venezuela
27–2–0–0 (23)
March 3, 2018

text: Middleweight (160 lb/72.6 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Gennady Golovkin
Super champion
 Kazakhstan
38–0–1–0 (34)
June 3, 2014
Gennady Golovkin
 Kazakhstan
38–0–1–0 (34)
May 18, 2016
Gennady Golovkin
 Kazakhstan
38–0–1–0 (34)
October 17, 2015
Billy Joe Saunders
 United Kingdom
26–0–0–0 (12)
December 19, 2015
Canelo Álvarez
 Mexico
49–1–2–0 (34)
November 21, 2015
vacant

Ryōta Murata
Regular champion
 Japan
14–1–0–0 (11)
October 22, 2017
Jermall Charlo
Interim champion
 United States
27–0–0–0 (21)
April 21, 2018

text: Light middleweight (154 lb/69.9 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Jarrett Hurd
Super champion
 United States
22–0–0–0 (15)
April 8, 2018
Jermell Charlo
 United States
30–0–0–0 (15)
May 21, 2016
Jarrett Hurd
 United States
22–0–0–0 (15)
February 25, 2017
Jaime Munguia
 Mexico
29–0–0–0 (25)
May 12, 2018
vacant
vacant

Brian Castaño
Regular champion
 Argentina
15–0–0–0 (11)
October 22, 2016

text: Welterweight (147 lb/66.7 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Keith Thurman
Super champion
 United States
28–0–0–1 (22)
February 7, 2017
vacant
Errol Spence Jr.
 United States
23–0–0–0 (20)
May 27, 2017
Jeff Horn
 Australia
18–0–1–0 (12)
July 2, 2017
vacant
vacant

Lucas Matthysse
Regular champion
 Argentina
39–4–0–1 (36)
January 27, 2018

text: Light welterweight (140 lb/63.5 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Kiryl Relikh
 Belarus
22–2–0–0 (19)
March 10, 2018
José Ramírez
 United States
22–0–0–0 (16)
March 17, 2018
vacant
vacant
vacant
Mikey Garcia
 United States
38–0–0–0 (30)
March 10, 2018

Regis Prograis
Interim champion
 United States
21–0–0–0 (18)
March 9, 2018

text: Lightweight (135 lb/61.2 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Vasyl Lomachenko
 Ukraine
11–1–0–0 (9)
May 12, 2018
Mikey Garcia
 United States
38–0–0–0 (30)
January 28, 2017
Robert Easter Jr.
 United States
21–0–0–0 (14)
September 9, 2016
Ray Beltrán
 Mexico
35–7–1–1 (21)
February 16, 2018
Vasyl Lomachenko
 Ukraine
11–1–0–0 (9)
May 12, 2018
vacant

text: Super featherweight (130 lb/59 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Gervonta Davis
Super champion
 United States
20–0–0–0 (19)
April 21, 2018
Miguel Berchelt
 Mexico
33–1–0–0 (29)
January 28, 2017
vacant
vacant
vacant
vacant

Alberto Machado
Regular champion
 Puerto Rico
19–0–0–0 (16)
October 21, 2017

text: Featherweight (126 lb/57.2 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Léo Santa Cruz
Super champion
 Mexico
34–1–1–0 (19)
January 28, 2017
Gary Russell Jr.
 United States
29–1–0–0 (17)
March 28, 2015
Josh Warrington
 United Kingdom
27–0–0–0 (6)
May 19, 2018
Óscar Valdez
 Mexico
24–0–0–0 (19)
July 23, 2016
vacant
vacant

Abner Mares
Regular champion
 Mexico
31–2–1–0 (15)
December 11, 2016

Jesús Rojas
Interim champion
 Puerto Rico
26–1–2–1 (19)
September 15, 2017
Carl Frampton
Interim champion
 United Kingdom
25–1–0–0 (14)
April 21, 2018

text: Super bantamweight (122 lb/55.3 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Daniel Roman
 United States
24–2–1–0 (9)
September 3, 2017
Rey Vargas
 Mexico
32–0–0–0 (22)
February 25, 2017
Ryosuke Iwasa
 Japan
25–2–0–0 (16)
September 13, 2017
Isaac Dogboe
 Ghana
19–0–0–0 (13)
April 28, 2018
vacant
Guillermo Rigondeaux
 Cuba
17–1–0–1 (11)
April 13, 2013

Moises Flores
Interim champion
 Mexico
25–0–0–2 (17)
April 18, 2015

text: Bantamweight (118 lb/53.5 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Ryan Burnett
Super champion
 United Kingdom
19–0–0–0 (9)
October 21, 2017
vacant
Emmanuel Rodríguez
 Puerto Rico
18–0–0–0 (12)
May 5, 2018
Zolani Tete
 South Africa
27–3–0–0 (21)
April 22, 2017
vacant
vacant

Naoya Inoue
Regular champion
 Japan
16–0–0–0 (14)
May 25, 2018

Reymart Gaballo
Interim champion
 Philippines
19–0–0–0 (16)
March 23, 2018

text: Super flyweight (115 lb/52.2 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Khalid Yafai
 United Kingdom
24–0–0–0 (15)
December 10, 2016
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
 Thailand
45–4–1–0 (40)
March 18, 2017
Jerwin Ancajas
 Philippines
30–1–1–0 (20)
September 3, 2016
vacant
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
 Thailand
45–4–1–0 (40)
February 24, 2018
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
 Thailand
45–4–1–0 (40)
February 24, 2018

text: Flyweight (112 lb/50.8 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Artem Dalakian
 Ukraine
16–0–0–0 (11)
February 24, 2018
Cristofer Rosales
 Nicaragua
27–3–0–0 (18)
April 15, 2018
vacant
Sho Kimura
 Japan
16–1–2–0 (9)
July 28, 2017
vacant
vacant

text: Light flyweight (108 lb/49 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Hekkie Budler
Unified champion
 South Africa
32–3–0–0 (10)
May 19, 2018
Ken Shiro
 Japan
13–0–0–0 (7)
May 20, 2017
Hekkie Budler
 South Africa
32–3–0–0 (10)
May 19, 2018
Ángel Acosta
 Puerto Rico
17–1–0–0 (17)
December 2, 2017
Hekkie Budler
 South Africa
32–3–0–0 (10)
May 19, 2018
vacant

Carlos Cañizales
Regular champion
 Venezuela
20–0–1–0 (16)
March 18, 2018

text: Minimumweight (105 lb/47.6 kg)

text:
WBA
WBC
IBF
WBO
The Ring
Lineal

Thammanoon Niyomtrong
 Thailand
17–0–0–0 (7)
June 29, 2016
Wanheng Menayothin
 Thailand
50–0–0–0 (18)
November 6, 2014
Hiroto Kyoguchi
 Japan
10–0–0–0 (7)
July 23, 2017
Ryuya Yamanaka
 Japan
16–2–0–0 (5)
August 27, 2017
vacant
vacant


document_title: Detroit Pistons

question_text: where did the detroit pistons play before little caesars arena

question_tokens: where did the detroit pistons play before little caesars arena

text: Detroit Pistons

text: Franchise history[edit]

text: 1941–1957: The Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons[edit]

text: The Detroit Pistons franchise was founded as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, a National Basketball League (NBL) team, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[8] Owner Fred Zollner's Zollner Corporation was a foundry that manufactured pistons, primarily for car, truck, and locomotive engines.[9] The Zollner Pistons were NBL champions in 1944 and 1945.[8] They also won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1944, 1945 and 1946.[10]

text: In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[9] In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table.[9]

text: There are suggestions that Pistons players conspired with gamblers to shave points and throw various games during the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. In particular, there are accusations that the team may have intentionally lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals.[11] In the decisive Game 7, the Pistons led Syracuse 41–24 early in the second quarter, then the Nationals rallied to win the game.[12] Syracuse won on a free throw by George King with twelve seconds left in the game. 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 with three seconds left which cost Fort Wayne a chance to attempt the game-winning shot.[13]

text: 1957–1979: Decades of struggle[edit]

text: 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.[8] After the 1956–57 season, Zollner decided that Fort Wayne was too small to support an NBA team and announced the team would be playing elsewhere in the coming season. He ultimately settled on Detroit.[8] Although it was the fifth largest city in the United States at the time,[14] Detroit had not seen professional basketball in a decade.[15][16][17] They lost the Detroit Eagles due to World War II, both the Detroit Gems of the NBL (whose remnants became the Minneapolis Lakers) and the Detroit Falcons of the BAA in 1947, and the Detroit Vagabond Kings in 1949.[15][16][17] Zollner decided to keep the Pistons name, believing it made sense given Detroit's status as the center of the automobile industry.[8][9]

text: The Pistons played in Olympia Stadium (home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the time) for their first four seasons, then moved to Cobo Arena.[17][18]

text: During the 1960s and 1970s, the Pistons were characterized by very strong individuals and weak teams.[18][19] Some of the superstars who played for the team included Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, and Bob Lanier.[20][21][22] At one point, DeBusschere was the youngest player-coach in the history of the NBA.[20] A trade during the 1968–69 season sent DeBusschere to the New York Knicks for Howard Komives and Walt Bellamy, both of whom were in the later stages of their careers.[20] DeBusschere became a key player in leading the Knicks to two NBA titles.[20]

text: In 1974, Zollner sold the team to glass magnate Bill Davidson, who remained the team's principal owner until his death in 2009.[23]

text: While the Pistons did qualify for the postseason in four straight seasons from 1974 to 1977, they never advanced beyond the first round.[24][25][26][27]

text: In 1978, Davidson became displeased with Cobo Arena, but opted not to follow the Detroit Red Wings to the under-construction Joe Louis Arena. Instead, he moved the team to the suburb of Pontiac, where they played in the 82,000 capacity Silverdome, a structure built for professional football (and the home of the Detroit Lions at the time).[18]

text: 1980–1994: The Bad Boys era[edit]

text: The Pistons stumbled their way out of the 1970s and into the 1980s, beginning with a 16–66 record in 1979–80 and following up with a 21–61 record in 1980–81.[28] The 1979–80 team lost its last 14 games of the season which, when coupled with the seven losses at the start of the 1980–81 season, comprised a then-NBA record losing streak of 21 games.[29]

text: The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when they drafted point guard Isiah Thomas from Indiana University.[30] In November 1981, the Pistons acquired Vinnie Johnson in a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics.[31] They would later acquire center Bill Laimbeer in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in February 1982.[32] Another key move by the Pistons was the hiring of head coach Chuck Daly in 1983.[33]

text: Initially, the Pistons had a tough time moving up the NBA ladder. In 1984, the Pistons lost a tough five-game series to the underdog New York Knicks, three games to two.[34] In the 1985 playoffs, Detroit won its first-round series and faced the defending champion Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals. Though Boston would prevail in six games, Detroit's surprise performance promised that a rivalry had begun.[28] In the 1985 NBA draft, the team selected Joe Dumars 18th overall, a selection that would prove to be very wise.[35] They also acquired Rick Mahorn in a trade with the Washington Bullets.[36] However, the team took a step backwards, losing in the first round of the 1986 playoffs to the more athletic Atlanta Hawks. After the series, changes were made in order to make the team more defensive-minded.[28]

text: Prior to the 1986–87 season, the Pistons acquired more key players: John Salley (drafted 11th overall), Dennis Rodman (drafted 27th) and Adrian Dantley (acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz).[37][38] The team adopted a physical, defense-oriented style of play, which eventually earned them the nickname "Bad Boys".[39] In 1987, the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. After pushing the defending champions to a 2–2 tie, the Pistons were on the verge of winning Game 5 at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining.[40] After a Celtics' turnover, Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball and missed Daly's timeout signal from the bench. Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.[40] While the Pistons would win Game 6 in Detroit, they would lose the series in a tough Game 7 back in Boston.[40][41]

text: Motivated by their loss to the Celtics, the 1988 Pistons, aided by midseason acquisition James Edwards, improved to a then-franchise-record 54 victories and the franchise's first division title in 32 years.[28][42][43] In the postseason, the Pistons avenged their two previous playoff losses to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating them in six games and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Detroit.[28]

text: The Pistons' first trip to the Finals in 32 years saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[28][44] After taking a 3–2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6. In that game, Isiah Thomas scored an NBA Finals record 25 points in the third quarter while playing on a severely sprained ankle.[45] However, the Lakers won the game, 103–102, on a pair of last-second free throws by Abdul-Jabbar following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer, referred to by many as a "phantom foul".[45][46] With Thomas unable to compete at full strength, the Pistons narrowly fell in Game 7, 108–105.[45][47]

text: Prior to the 1988–89 season, the Pistons moved to Auburn Hills to play at The Palace of Auburn Hills.[48] The 1989 Pistons completed the building of their roster by trading Dantley for Mark Aguirre, a trade that Pistons' fans would criticize heavily initially, but later praise.[49][50][51][52] The team won 63 games, shattering their one-year-old franchise record, and steamrolled through the playoffs and into an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. This time the Pistons came out victorious in a four-game sweep to win their first NBA championship. Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP.[53]

text: The Pistons successfully defended their title in 1990, despite losing Mahorn to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the expansion draft.[54][55] After winning 59 games and a third straight division title, the Pistons cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs before playing a tough Eastern Conference Finals series against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Chicago Bulls. Facing each other for the third straight season, the Pistons and Bulls split the first six games before the Pistons finished the series with a decisive 93–74 victory in Game 7.[56][57][58] Advancing to their third consecutive NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the Portland Trail Blazers.[55] After splitting the first two games at The Palace, the Pistons went to Portland, where they had not won a game since 1974, to play games 3, 4 and 5.[59] The Pistons summarily won all three games in Portland, becoming the first NBA team to sweep the middle three games on the road.[60] The decisive game came down to the final second. Trailing 90–83 with two minutes remaining, the Pistons rallied to tie the game, then took a 92–90 lead when Vinnie Johnson sank a 15-foot jumper with 00.7 seconds left in the game; this shot earned Johnson a new nickname in Detroit, "007", to go with his original, "The Microwave".[55][61] Isiah Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP.[55]

text: The Pistons' championship run came to an end in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, as they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls in four games.[62] The most critical Piston injury belonged to Isiah Thomas who had suffered a wrist injury a few months prior to the NBA Playoffs.[63] The Conference Finals is best remembered for the Pistons walking off court in the last game just before it ended, unwilling to shake hands with the Bulls. After the series, Michael Jordan said, "The dirty play and the flagrant fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct, hopefully that will be eliminated from the game with them gone. I think people are happy the game will get back to a clean game."[64][65] Following this, the franchise went through a transitional period, as key players were either waived (Johnson in 1991), traded (Edwards, Salley and Rodman), or retired (Laimbeer in 1993 and Thomas in 1994).[66][67][68][69][70][30]

text: 1994–2000: The Grant Hill era[edit]

text: Following the 1993–94 season, in which the Pistons ended up with a 20–62 record, they were able to draft Grant Hill, a promising small forward, with the 3rd overall pick.[71][72] However, this period also saw the team make numerous questionable personnel decisions, such as the loss of free agent Allan Houston to the New York Knicks,[73] the signing of free agent wash-outs Loy Vaught and Bison Dele;[74] and head coaching changes from Ron Rothstein to Don Chaney to Doug Collins to Alvin Gentry to George Irvine in an eight-year span.[75][76][72][77] Of these coaches, only Collins had any sort of success with the Pistons, winning 54 games in the 1996–97 season.[72] The franchise even changed its team colors in 1996 from its traditional red and blue to teal, burgundy, gold and black in what proved to be a highly unpopular move with fans.[78][77] The only color that did not change was white.[78] This period has become known, often derisively, as the "teal era".[77]

text: 2000–2008: Goin' to Work era[edit]

text: 2000–2002: Building a contender[edit]

text: After being swept by the Miami Heat in the 2000 playoffs, Joe Dumars, who had retired following the 1998–99 season, was hired as the team's president of basketball operations.[77] He quickly faced what appeared to be a setback for the franchise, as Grant Hill elected to leave the team for the Orlando Magic. However, Dumars managed to work a sign and trade with Orlando that brought the Pistons Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in exchange for Hill.[77][79] Both quickly entered the Pistons' starting lineup, and Wallace would develop into a defensive stalwart in the coming years.[77][79] Conversely, Hill would play only 47 games in the following three seasons due to a recurring ankle injury.[77]

text: The Pistons suffered through another tough season in 2000–01, going 32–50 despite Jerry Stackhouse averaging 29.8 points a game.[80] After the season, Dumars fired Irvine and hired Rick Carlisle, a widely respected assistant coach who had been a contributor for the Celtics during the mid-1980s.[81] The franchise also returned to its traditional red, white, and blue colors.[77]

text: Carlisle helped lead the Pistons to their first 50-win season since 1997, and their first playoff series victory since 1991 by defeating the Toronto Raptors in five games.[82][83] They would, however, lose to the Boston Celtics in five games.[84]

text: 2003–2008: Six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals[edit]

text: In the 2002 offseason, Dumars revamped the Pistons' roster by signing free agent Chauncey Billups, acquiring Richard "Rip" Hamilton from the Washington Wizards, and by drafting Tayshaun Prince from Kentucky.[85][86][87] The Pistons posted consecutive 50-win seasons and advanced to the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals, for the first time since 1991.[88][89] There, however, they were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets.[90]

text: Despite the team's improvement, Carlisle was fired in the 2003 offseason. There were believed to be five reasons for the firing: first, that Carlisle had appeared reluctant to play some of the team's younger players, such as Prince and Mehmet Okur, during the regular season; second, that some of the players had not gotten along with Carlisle; third, that Carlisle's offense was thought to be conservative; fourth, that Hall of Famer Larry Brown had become available; and finally fifth, that Carlisle was rumored to have alienated owner Bill Davidson with his personality.[91][92] Brown accepted the job that summer.[93]

text: The Pistons' transformation into a championship team was completed with the February 2004 acquisition of Rasheed Wallace.[94] The Pistons now had another big man to pose a threat from all parts of the court.[95] The Pistons finished the season 54–28, recording their best record since 1997.[95] In the 2004 playoffs, after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, they defeated the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets in seven games after coming back from a 3–2 deficit.[95] The Pistons then defeated the Pacers, coached by Carlisle, in six tough games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1990.[96][95] Many analysts gave the Pistons little chance to win against their opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had won three out of the previous four NBA championships, and who fielded a star-studded lineup that included Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone.[95][97] However, the Pistons won the series in dominating fashion, defeating Los Angeles in five games for the team's third NBA championship.[95][98] The Pistons posted double-digit wins in three of their four victories, and held the Lakers to a franchise-low 68 points in game 3.[95][99] Chauncey Billups was named NBA Finals MVP.[95][98] With the win, Bill Davidson became the first owner to win both a NBA and NHL championship in the same year, as he had also won the Stanley Cup as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.[23]

text: Despite losing key members of their bench during the offseason (including Okur, Mike James and Corliss Williamson), the Pistons were considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005.[100] They won 54 games during the regular season, their fourth consecutive season of 50 or more wins.[101] During the 2005 playoffs, they easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 and then rallied from a 2–1 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers, 4–2.[102][103][104] In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons faced the Miami Heat. Once again, the Pistons fell behind.[105] However, they would ultimately win the series in seven games.[106] In the NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the San Antonio Spurs. After both teams split the first four games of the series, the turning point came at the end of game 5 in Detroit, which went into overtime. The Pistons were ahead 95–93 when Robert Horry sank the game-winning three-point basket for the Spurs with 5.8 seconds left in the extra session.[107] The Pistons fought back to win game 6 in San Antonio, setting up the first NBA Finals game 7 since 1994.[108] The Pistons then lost a hard-fought, low-scoring game to the Spurs, who won their third NBA championship since 1999.[109]

text: The Pistons' 2004–05 season was marked by a major controversy, as well as distracting issues involving Larry Brown.[110][111] In the first month of the season, a Pacers–Pistons brawl erupted, one of the largest fan-player incidents in the history of American sports.[110] It resulted in heavy fines and suspensions for several players, and a great deal of NBA and media scrutiny.[110] Meanwhile, Brown was forced to leave the team on two occasions due to health concerns. During this time, he became involved in a series of rumors linking him to other job openings.[111] Concerned about Brown's health, and angered over his alleged pursuit of other jobs during the season, the Pistons bought out his contract soon after the 2005 NBA Finals.[111][112] Brown was promptly named head coach of the New York Knicks, while the Pistons hired Flip Saunders, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves.[113][114]

text: During the 2005–06 season, the Pistons recorded the NBA's best overall record.[115] Their 37–5 start exceeded the best start for any Detroit sports franchise in history and tied for the fourth-best start through 42 games in NBA history.[116][117] Four of the five Pistons starters (Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace), were named to the All-Star team, and Flip Saunders served as the Eastern Conference All-Star team coach.[118] The Pistons finished the regular season with a record of 64–18, setting new franchise records for both overall and road victories (27).[115][119][120] In addition, the team set an NBA record by starting the same lineup in 73 consecutive games from the start of the season.[115]

text: The top-seeded Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 4–1 in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, but struggled in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling behind 3–2 before winning in seven games.[121][122][123] Things did not improve against the second-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami defeated the Pistons in six games en route to the 2006 NBA championship.[124][125]

text: During the 2006 offseason, the Pistons offered Ben Wallace a four-year, $48 million contract, which would have made him the highest-paid Piston ever at the time. However, Wallace agreed to a 4-year, $60 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.[126]

text: To replace Ben Wallace, the Pistons signed Nazr Mohammed.[127] He struggled to fill the team's void at center, however, and the team began looking for additional help.[74] On January 16, 2007, the Pistons signed free agent Chris Webber.[128] The Pistons quickly began playing better basketball. They were only 21–15 before Webber was acquired; with him, the team went 32–14.[129][130] On April 11, the Pistons clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, which guaranteed them home-court advantage for first three rounds of the playoffs.[131]

text: The Pistons opened the 2007 NBA Playoffs with a 4–0 victory over the Orlando Magic, their first playoff series sweep since 1990.[132] The team advanced to face the Chicago Bulls, marking the first time that the Central Division rivals had met in the postseason since 1991.[133] After winning the first two games by 26 and 21 points, the Pistons overcame a 19-point deficit to win game 3, 81–74.[134][135][136] The Bulls avoided elimination by winning games 4 and 5, but the Pistons closed out the series, 95–85, in game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season.[137][138][139] In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons faced the Cleveland Cavaliers. After both teams split the first four games of the series, the turning point happened in game 5. The game is best remembered for LeBron James' performance where he scored the Cavaliers' final 29 of 30 points, including the team's final 25 points, to help defeat the Pistons 109–107 in double overtime.[140] The Pistons never recovered as they were eliminated in game 6, 98–82.[141]

text: In the 2007 NBA draft, the Pistons selected Rodney Stuckey with the 15th overall pick and Arron Afflalo with the 27th overall pick.[142] They also re-signed Chauncey Billups to a long-term contract, as well as re-signing top prospect Amir Johnson and key reserve Antonio McDyess.[143][144] This season marked the 50th anniversary of the franchise in Detroit.[145]

text: At the start of the 2007–08 season, Rasheed Wallace became the Pistons' new center.[146] Upon entering his third season, Saunders became the longest-tenured Pistons coach since Chuck Daly.[147] Detroit finished the season with the second best record in the league at 59–23.[148] The Boston Celtics held the first seed, and many speculated that Boston was their main competition in the Eastern Conference.[148][149] In the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Detroit started out poorly with a game 1 loss to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and found themselves in a 2-games-to-1 deficit.[150][151] However, the Pistons rallied to defeat the Sixers in six games.[152]

text: In the semifinals, the Pistons faced the Orlando Magic. The Pistons rolled out to a game 1 romp,[153] and won a tight Game 2 amid mild controversy. At the very end of the third quarter, Chauncey Billups hit a three-point field goal that gave the Pistons a three-point lead. However, the clock had stopped shortly into the play. League rules currently prohibit officials from using both instant replay and a timing device to measure how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay from the time of the malfunction onward allowed. The officials estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and since there were 5.1 seconds remaining when it began, the field goal was counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket should not have counted.[154]

text: In addition to losing game 3 badly, 111–86, the Pistons also lost all-star point guard and team leader Chauncey Billups to a hamstring injury.[155] Despite his absence, the Pistons rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to win game 4 90–89, on a field goal by Tayshaun Prince with just 8.9 seconds to play, taking a 3–1 series lead.[156] Again with Billups sitting on the sideline, they then proceeded to win game 5 in Detroit, winning the series 4 games to 1.[157]

text: Detroit advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season, squaring off against the Celtics. This put the Pistons second on the all-time list of most consecutive conference finals appearances, only behind the Los Angeles Lakers who appeared in eight straight conference finals from the 1981–82 to 1988–89 seasons.[158] They lost game 1 88–79, but won in game 2 on the road, 103–97, marking the Celtics' first home court loss in the postseason.[159][160] Immediately following that, the Celtics won their first road game of the postseason, 94–80, in game 3.[161] Game 4 saw the Pistons win 94–75.[162] In the pivotal game 5, they lost 106–102, despite rallying from 17 points down late in the game.[163] In game 6, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter leading 70–60, but a lack of focus, a poor game from Rasheed Wallace, and a rally-killing turnover by Tayshaun Prince ultimately led to their demise; the Pistons ended their season with an 89–81 loss.[164] After that, the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals.[165] On June 3, 2008, the Pistons announced that Flip Saunders would not return as head coach.[166]

text: 2008–2011: Failed express rebuilding[edit]

text: On June 10, 2008, the Pistons hired Michael Curry to be their new head coach.[167] In November 2008, the Pistons traded key members Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson.[168] McDyess was later waived on November 10 and rejoined the Pistons on December 9.[169][170] The trade was marked as a start of a new rebuilding process due to Iverson's free agent status at the end of the season.[168]

text: The season was marked with many controversies and injuries.[171][172] As a result of this, and poor play, the Pistons dropped down the standings, only clinching a playoff berth on April 10, 2009.[173] The Pistons finished the season at 39–43, securing their first losing season in eight years.[174][175] The Pistons were then swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games in the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.[176] On June 30, 2009, Michael Curry was fired as head coach.[177] Iverson would sign with the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason.[178]

text: In the 2009–10 offseason, Dumars reached an agreement with the former Bulls guard Ben Gordon on a 5 year/$55 million contract, as well as an agreement with former Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva on a 5-year contract worth $35 million.[179][180] That same month, the Pistons lost their two key members during the last few years, veterans Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.[181][182] On July 8, 2009, Dumars hired former Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester to be the Pistons new head coach.[183] The Pistons would later resign Ben Wallace in August 2009.[144]

text: Despite these changes, the team regressed even further, as they were hampered by setbacks and injuries.[184][185] On March 23, 2010, the Pistons were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Indiana Pacers.[186] The Pistons finished with a 27–55 record. It was their worst record since 1994.[187] Another 50-loss season, this time finishing at 30–52, led to the firing of Kuester at the end of the 2010–11 season.[188]

text: 2011–2015: New ownership; more struggling[edit]

text: On April 7, 2011, the Pistons reached a long-awaited agreement to sell the franchise to billionaire Tom Gores. The deal was granted by the NBA Board of Governors in May and also included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre.[189][190][191] According to Crain's Detroit Business, the final sale price was $325 million, far lower than expected.[192]

text: Prior to the 2011–12 season, the team decided to hire a new coach, Lawrence Frank, former head coach of the New Jersey Nets and an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics.[193] The 2011–12 season was an improvement from previous years for the Pistons, although they still posted a losing record. While they started the season 4–20, they managed to win half their remaining games to finish a lockout-shortened season with a record of 25–41.[194] The team continued to build its young core with the drafting of the talented center Andre Drummond.[195]

text: Following the 2012–13 season, coach Lawrence Frank was fired on April 18, 2013, after two losing seasons,[147][196] and on June 10, 2013, the Pistons hired former player and coach, Maurice Cheeks.[197] His tenure lasted for just a bit more than half a season, and he was replaced with interim coach John Loyer.[198][199] In April, the Pistons announced that Joe Dumars would step down as President of Basketball Operations, yet remain as an advisor to the organization and its ownership team.[200] On May 14, 2014, Stan Van Gundy was hired. Van Gundy signed a 5-year, $35 million contract to become the head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the team.[201]

text: After starting the 2014–15 season with a 5–23 record, the Pistons waived Josh Smith, who was acquired in the summer of 2013.[202] The team went on a lengthy winning streak, but would only finish the season with a record of 32–50 after Brandon Jennings' Achilles injury.[203][204]

text: 2015–2016: Return to the playoffs[edit]

text: In the 2015 offseason, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy began to change the roster to his liking by making such acquisitions as Ersan İlyasova, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and Steve Blake.[205][206][207][208] They also drafted rookie Stanley Johnson with the 8th pick in the 2015 NBA draft and re-signed point guard Reggie Jackson.[209][210] The Pistons entered the 2015–16 season with a stronger roster than the previous season, although they lost starter Greg Monroe to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.[211] Andre Drummond started the season strong, earning himself the honor of consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for the weeks of November 1 and November 8.[212][213]

text: The Pistons entered the All-Star break at 27–27.[214] The Pistons did surpass their win totals from the 2009–10 season to the 2014–15 season on March 9, 2016, when Detroit defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102–96.[215] On April 6, 2016, following a 108–104 win over the Orlando Magic, the Pistons reached 42 wins and were assured their first winning season since the 2007–08 season.[216] On April 8, 2016, the Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards 112–99 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time in seven years.[217] The eighth-seeded Pistons faced the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. They were swept in four games in a highly-competitive series.[218][219]

text: 2017: Move back to downtown Detroit[edit]

text: Beginning with the 1978–79 season, the Pistons played their home games in suburban Oakland County (directly north of Detroit/Wayne County), first playing ten seasons at the Pontiac Silverdome, and then began play at The Palace of Auburn Hills starting in the 1988–89 season.[18][220][221] From 1999, when the Lakers relocated from The Forum in suburban Inglewood to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, until the end of the 2016–17 season, the Pistons remained the only NBA franchise to play in a suburban location, ending a 39-year stay in Oakland County.[222][223]

text: Pistons owner Tom Gores, Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellum, and Olympia Entertainment (the Ilitch family's holding company that controls the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers) had been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with the Pistons possibly relocating to the new Little Caesars Arena as soon as the 2017–18 season. Talks intensified just as the Pistons were set to open their 2016–17 season, and as part of the terms of the agreement, there was discussion of a possible merger between Olympia and PS&E.[224] Also contingent on a finalized agreement, the Pistons were looking for a parcel of land in the arena's vicinity, to build a new practice facility and team headquarters.[224][225] The leasing agreement/partnership needed both city and league approval to be finalized.[226][227]

text: On November 22, 2016, the Pistons announced their intention to move to Little Caesars Arena, and the site of the Palace of Auburn Hills would be redeveloped and sold, with the arena likely to be demolished as part of the redevelopment.[228]

text: On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena.[229] On August 3, 2017, it was announced that the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official.[230][231] The move made Detroit the only U.S. city to have its Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), NBA, and NHL teams play in its downtown district,[232] and one of only two U.S. cities to have said teams play within the city limits, the other being Philadelphia.

text: Media coverage[edit]

text: Radio[edit]

text: The Pistons flagship radio station is WXYT-FM. There are several affiliate stations throughout Michigan.[233] The regular radio announcers are Mark Champion with play-by-play and Rick Mahorn with color commentary.[234]

text: TV[edit]

text: The Pistons' current exclusive local television rights holder is Fox Sports Detroit.[235] The regular TV announcers are George Blaha with play-by-play, Greg Kelser with color commentary, Grant Long with studio analysis and Johnny Kane or Matt Shepard with sideline reports.

text: Uniforms[edit]

text: After moving from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons' uniforms remained largely unchanged for two decades, featuring the word "Pistons" in blue block lettering. In the 1978–79 season, the team featured a uniform with lightning bolts on the sides and in the wordmark on the front of the jerseys. The team ditched the lightning bolt theme and returned to its classic block lettering and simple side panel pattern in 1981, staying with this look until 1996. That year, the Pistons changed its colors to teal, black, yellow and red, and unveiled a new logo with a horse's head and flaming mane. This uniform pattern lasted until 2001, when the team returned to the traditional red, white and blue colors, and a uniform pattern taking cues from the 1981–96 threads.[236]

text: On August 14, 2013, the Pistons unveiled a new alternate uniform, with navy blue and red colors. It featured the words "Motor City" across the front and mark the club's first alternative look since the 2005–06 NBA season. The uniforms are the first of their kind, designed to celebrate the pride and character of metro Detroit while paying homage to the region's automotive roots. The team said in its press release that it "worked in consultation with adidas and the NBA in development of the uniforms. Lettering and numbering style on the jersey is consistent with the team's current home and away uniforms. To contrast the navy blue and red accents, lettering and numbers on the jerseys and shorts are white with hair-line red and blue trim. The club's secondary logo appears on the shorts – similar to the primary home and away uniforms."[237]

text: On October 4, 2015, the Pistons unveiled a new alternate pride uniform, intended to be worn during the 2015–16 season. The team said in a press release that "the inspiration for the Detroit Chrome jerseys came about as a way to honor our coolest cars from the past and the cars of the future. Detroit is universally known as the auto capitol of the world, where chrome leaves an indelible mark on the cars we create. The uniforms feature a matte chrome base color with clean simple lines inspired by the classic muscle cars that have roared up and down Woodward Avenue for decades. The navy trim and Detroit emblazoned across the chest represent the blue collar work ethic that the auto industry and region was built on."[238][239]

text: On May 16, 2017, the Pistons unveiled a new logo, which is a modernized version of the previous "Bad Boys" era logo used from 1979 to 1996.[240][241]

text: Mascots[edit]

text:
Sir Slam A Lot
(1994–1996)

tag: ul

text: Season-by-season records[edit]

text: Home arenas[edit]

text: Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons:

text:
North Side High School Gym (1948–1952)[242][243][244][245]
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (1952–1957)[246]

text: Detroit Pistons:

text:
Olympia Stadium (1957–1961)[30]
Memorial Building (University of Detroit) (1957–1961; used as an alternate when Olympia Stadium was occupied)[247][248]
Cobo Arena (1961–1978)[18]
Pontiac Silverdome (1978–1988)[18]
The Palace of Auburn Hills (1988–2017)[220][221]
Little Caesars Arena (2017–present)[228]

text: Notes:

text:
On March 12, 1960, the Pistons hosted a playoff game against the Minneapolis Lakers at Grosse Pointe High School when no other facility (including Olympia Stadium, which was booked for Ice Capades, and the University of Detroit) was available.[247]
On April 27, 1984, the Pistons played game 5 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks at Joe Louis Arena due to a scheduling conflict.[34]
During the 1984–85 season, the Silverdome's roof collapsed, causing the team to temporarily relocate to Joe Louis Arena for the remaining 15 home games of the season (March 6, 1985 through May 10, 1985).[48]

text: Players[edit]

text: Current roster[edit]

text:
Detroit Pistons roster

v
t
e

Players
Coaches

Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB (YYYY-MM-DD)
From

1.5 !G
7001220000000000000♠22
Bradley, Avery
7000187960000000000♠6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1990–11–26
Texas

4.0 !F
7001250000000000000♠25
Bullock, Reggie
7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1991–03–16
North Carolina

1.5 !G
7001200000000000000♠20
Buycks, Dwight
7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1989–03–06
Marquette

6.0 !C
5000000000000000000♠0
Drummond, Andre
7000210820000000000♠6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
279 lb (127 kg)
1993–08–10
Connecticut

4.0 !F
7000800000000000000♠8
Ellenson, Henry
7000210820000000000♠6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
1997–01–13
Marquette

1.5 !G
7001230000000000000♠23
Felder, Kay (TW)
7000175260000000000♠5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
176 lb (80 kg)
1995–03–29
Oakland

1.5 !G
7000900000000000000♠9
Galloway, Langston
7000187960000000000♠6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1991–12–09
Saint Joseph's

4.0 !F
7001340000000000000♠34
Harris, Tobias
7000205740000000000♠6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1992–07–15
Tennessee

4.0 !F
7001380000000000000♠38
Hearn, Reggie (TW)
7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1991–08–14
Northwestern

1.5 !G
7000100000000000000♠1
Jackson, Reggie
7000190500000000000♠6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
208 lb (94 kg)
1990–04–16
Boston College

4.0 !F
7000700000000000000♠7
Johnson, Stanley
7000200659999999999♠6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
1996–05–29
Arizona

1.5 !G
7000500000000000000♠5
Kennard, Luke
7000195580000000000♠6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1996–06–24
Duke

5.5 !F/C
7001300000000000000♠30
Leuer, Jon
7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
228 lb (103 kg)
1989–05–14
Wisconsin

6.0 !C
7001510000000000000♠51
Marjanović, Boban
7000220980000000000♠7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
290 lb (132 kg)
1988–08–15
Serbia

5.5 !F/C
7001240000000000000♠24
Moreland, Eric
7000208279999999999♠6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
238 lb (108 kg)
1991–12–24
Oregon State

1.5 !G
7001140000000000000♠14
Smith, Ish
7000182880000000000♠6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1988–07–05
Wake Forest

4.0 !F
7001430000000000000♠43
Tolliver, Anthony
7000203200000000000♠6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
1985–06–01
Creighton

Head coach

Stan Van Gundy

Assistant coach(es)

Malik Allen
Bob Beyer (Associate HC)
Aaron Gray
Tim Hardaway
Charles Klask
Rex Walters
Otis Smith (Player Development)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
(GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
(TW) Two-way affiliate player
 Injured

Roster • Transactions
Last transaction: 2018–01–12

text: Retained draft rights[edit]

text: The Pistons hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who isn't signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[249] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

text:
Draft
Round
Pick
Player
Pos.
Nationality
Current team
Note(s)
Ref

text: Retired numbers[edit]

text:
Detroit Pistons retired numbers and honorees

No.
Player
Position
Tenure
Date

1
Chauncey Billups
G
2002–2008
2013–2014 1
February 10, 2016[250]

2
Chuck Daly
Head coach 2
1983–1992
January 25, 1997[251]

3
Ben Wallace
C
2000–2006
2009–2012 3
January 16, 2016[252]

4
Joe Dumars
G
1985–1999 4
March 10, 2000[251]

10
Dennis Rodman
F
1986–1993 5
April 1, 2011[251]

11
Isiah Thomas
G
1981–1994
February 17, 1996[251]

15
Vinnie Johnson
G
1981–1991
February 5, 1994[251]

16
Bob Lanier
C
1970–1980
January 9, 1993[251]

21
Dave Bing
G
1966–1975
March 18, 1983[251]

32
Richard Hamilton
G/F
2002–2011
February 26, 2017[253]

40
Bill Laimbeer
C
1982–1994
February 4, 1995[251]

—
Bill Davidson
Team owner
1974–2009 6
December 28, 2011[254]

—
Jack McCloskey
General manager
1979–1992 7
March 29, 2008[255]

text: Notes:

text:
1 Reggie Jackson currently wears the number.[256]
2 Never played in the NBA; number represents the two NBA championship teams he coached.[33]
3 Stanley Johnson wore the number at the time it was retired.[256][257]
4 Also team president from 2000–2014.[258]
5 Greg Monroe wore the number at the time it was retired (2010–2015).[259][260][211]
6 Banner raised to honor his 35 years with the team.[254]
7 Banner raised to honor his 13 years as the team's general manager.[255]

text: Basketball Hall of Fame members[edit]

text:
Detroit Pistons Hall of Famers

Players

No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted
No.
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

4
Andy Phillip
G/F
1952–1956
1961[261]
22
Dave DeBusschere
F
1962–1968
1983[262]

17
Bob Houbregs
C/F
1954–1958
1987[263]
20
Bobby McDermott
G
1941–1946
1988[264]

21
Dave Bing
G
1966–1975
1990[265]
11
Harry Gallatin
F/C
1957–1958
1991[266]

16
Bob Lanier
C
1970–1980
1992[267]
8
Walt Bellamy
C
1968–1970
1993[268]

15
Dick McGuire
G
1957–1960
1993[269]
12
George Yardley
F/G
1953–1959
1996[270]

18
Bailey Howell
F
1959–1964
1997[271]
11
Bob McAdoo
F/C
1979–1981
2000[272]

11
Isiah Thomas
G
1981–1994
2000[273]
17
Earl Lloyd 1
F
1958–1960
2003[274]

4
Joe Dumars
G
1985–1999
2006[275]
45
Adrian Dantley
F
1986–1989
2008[276]

10
Dennis Rodman
F
1986–1993
2011[277]
24
Nathaniel Clifton
C/F
1956–1957
2014[278]

1
Allen Iverson
G
2008–2009
2016[279]
1
Tracy McGrady
G/F
2010–2011
2017[280]

Coaches

Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

2
Chuck Daly
Head coach
1983–1992
1994[281]
Larry Brown
Head coach
2003–2005
2002[282]

Earl Lloyd 1
Head coach
1971–1972
2003[274]
Dick Vitale 2
Head coach
1978–1979
2008[283]

Contributors

Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted
Name
Position
Tenure
Inducted

Fred Zollner
Founder/Owner
1941–1974
1999[284]
Bill Davidson
Owner
1974–2009
2008[285]

text: Notes:

text:
1 Lloyd was inducted as a contributor as the first African American player and bench coach in the NBA.[274]
2 Vitale was inducted as a contributor for his career as a college basketball broadcaster.[283]

text: Head coaches[edit]

text: General managers[edit]

text:
GM history

GM
Tenure

Carl Bennett
1948–1954[286]

Fred Zollner
1954–1957[286]

Otto Adams
1957[286]

Fred Delano
1957–1958[286]

W. Nicholas Kerbawy
1958–1961[286]

Francis Smith
1961–1964[286]

Don Wattrick
1964–1965[286]

Edwin Coil
1965–1975[286]

Oscar Feldman
1975–1977[286]

Bob Kauffman
1977–1978[286]

Bill Davidson
1978–1979[286]

Jack McCloskey
1979–1992[286]

Tom Wilson
1992[286]

Billy McKinney
1992–1995[286]

Doug Collins
1995–1998[286]

Rick Sund
1998–2000[286]

Joe Dumars
2000–2014[286]

Jeff Bower
2014–present[286]

text: Individual records and awards[edit]

text: Franchise leaders[edit]

text: Bold denotes still active with team.

text: Italic denotes still active but not with team. Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2016–17 season)[287]

text:
Isiah Thomas (18,822)
Joe Dumars (16,401)
Bob Lanier (15,488)
Dave Bing (15,235)
Bill Laimbeer (12,665)
Richard Hamilton (11,582)
Vinnie Johnson (10,146)
Tayshaun Prince (10,006)
Grant Hill (9,393)
John Long (9,023)
Bailey Howell (8,182)
Gene Shue (8,034)
Chauncey Billups (7,940)
Kelly Tripucka (7,597)
Jerry Stackhouse (7,451)
Eddie Miles (7,419)
George Yardley (7,339)
Larry Foust (7,124)
Dave DeBusschere (7,096)
Ray Scott (6,724)

tag: ol

text: Other statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2016–17 season)[287]

text:
Most minutes played

Player
Minutes

Isiah Thomas
35,516

Joe Dumars
35,139

Bill Laimbeer
30,602

Tayshaun Prince
26,166

Dave Bing
26,052

Bob Lanier
24,640

Richard Hamilton
21,679

Ben Wallace
21,358

Vinnie Johnson
20,218

Lindsey Hunter
18,574

text:
Most rebounds

Player
Rebounds

Bill Laimbeer
9,430

Bob Lanier
8,063

Ben Wallace
7,264

Dennis Rodman
6,299

Larry Foust
5,200

Walter Dukes
4,986

Dave DeBusschere
4,947

Andre Drummond
4,946

Bailey Howell
4,583

Ray Scott
4,508

text:
Most assists

Player
Assists

Isiah Thomas
9,061

Joe Dumars
4,612

Dave Bing
4,330

Chauncey Billups
2,984

Grant Hill
2,720

Vinnie Johnson
2,661

Richard Hamilton
2,419

Bob Lanier
2,256

Tayshaun Prince
2,074

Lindsey Hunter
2,038

text:
Most steals

Player
Steals

Isiah Thomas
1,861

Ben Wallace
931

Joe Dumars
902

Lindsey Hunter
896

Chris Ford
785

Vinnie Johnson
708

Grant Hill
694

John Long
649

Bill Laimbeer
632

Terry Tyler
615

text:
Most blocks

Player
Blocks

Ben Wallace
1,486

Terry Tyler
1,070

Bob Lanier
859

Bill Laimbeer
857

John Salley
709

Rasheed Wallace
623

Andre Drummond
580

Tayshaun Prince
448

Jason Maxiell
426

Dennis Rodman
399

text:
Most three-pointers made

Player
3-pointers made

Joe Dumars
990

Chauncey Billups
890

Lindsey Hunter
793

Rasheed Wallace
581

Tayshaun Prince
510

Terry Mills
495

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
479

Richard Hamilton
413

Chucky Atkins
409

Jerry Stackhouse
401

text: Individual awards[edit]

text: NBA Finals MVP

text:
Joe Dumars – 1989[53]
Isiah Thomas – 1990[55]
Chauncey Billups – 2004[95][98]

text: NBA Defensive Player of the Year

text:
Dennis Rodman – 1990, 1991[288]
Ben Wallace – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006[288]

text: NBA Rookie of the Year

text:
Don Meineke – 1953[289]
Dave Bing – 1967[289]
Grant Hill – 1995[289]

text: NBA Sixth Man of the Year

text: Corliss Williamson – 2002[290]

text: NBA Coach of the Year

text:
Ray Scott – 1974[291]
Rick Carlisle – 2002[291]

text: NBA Executive of the Year

text: Joe Dumars – 2003[292]

text: NBA Sportsmanship Award

text: Joe Dumars – 1996[293]

text: J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

text:
Bob Lanier – 1978[294]
Kent Benson – 1982[294]
Isiah Thomas – 1987[294]
Joe Dumars – 1994[294]
Chauncey Billups – 2008[294]

text: All-NBA First Team

text:
Larry Foust – 1955[295]
George Yardley – 1958[295]
Gene Shue – 1960[295]
Dave Bing – 1968, 1971[295]
Isiah Thomas – 1984–1986[295]
Grant Hill – 1997[295]

text: All-NBA Second Team

text:
Fred Schaus – 1950[295]
Larry Foust – 1952[295]
George Yardley – 1957[295]
Gene Shue – 1961[295]
Bailey Howell – 1963[295]
Dave DeBusschere – 1969[295]
Dave Bing – 1974[295]
Isiah Thomas – 1983, 1987[295]
Joe Dumars – 1993[295]
Grant Hill – 1996, 1998–2000[295]
Ben Wallace – 2003, 2004, 2006[295]
Chauncey Billups – 2006[295]

text: All-NBA Third Team

text:
Joe Dumars – 1990, 1991[295]
Dennis Rodman – 1992[295]
Ben Wallace – 2002, 2005[295]
Chauncey Billups – 2007[295]
Andre Drummond – 2016[295]

text: NBA All-Defensive First Team

text:
Joe Dumars – 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993[296]
Dennis Rodman – 1989–1993[296]
Ben Wallace – 2002–2006[296]

text: NBA All-Defensive Second Team

text:
M. L. Carr – 1979[296]
Joe Dumars – 1991[296]
Clifford Robinson – 2002[296]
Chauncey Billups – 2005, 2006[296]
Tayshaun Prince – 2005–2008[296]

text: NBA All-Rookie First Team

text:
Dave DeBusschere – 1963[297]
Joe Caldwell – 1965[297]
Tom Van Arsdale – 1966[297]
Dave Bing – 1967[297]
Bob Lanier – 1971[297]
Terry Tyler – 1979[297]
Isiah Thomas – 1982[297]
Kelly Tripucka – 1982[297]
Joe Dumars – 1986[297]
Grant Hill – 1995[297]
Brandon Knight – 2012[297]

text: NBA All-Rookie Second Team

text:
Lindsey Hunter – 1994[297]
Željko Rebrača – 2002[297]
Rodney Stuckey – 2008[297]
Jonas Jerebko – 2010[297]
Greg Monroe – 2011[297]
Andre Drummond – 2013[297]
Kyle Singler – 2013[297]

text: NBA All-Star Weekend[edit]

text: NBA Eastern All-Star Game head coach

text:
Chuck Daly – 1990[298]
Doug Collins – 1997[298]
Flip Saunders – 2006[118][298]

text: NBA All-Star Game MVP

text:
Bob Lanier  – 1974[299]
Isiah Thomas  – 1984, 1986[299]

text: Rivalries[edit]

text: Chicago Bulls[edit]

text: Boston Celtics[edit]

text: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]