They also had John Mengelt (later bulls announcer), a real
Instigator.
Can't forget about Dick Vitale who became the Piston's coach in that era after successful years at University of Detroit.
Vitale left the Titans and college basketball to coach the
Detroit Pistons of the
NBA in the
1978–79 Detroit Pistons season, leading them to a 30–52 (.366) record.
[5] Vitale was hospitalized with stress related stomach issues during his first season on the bench in Detroit as the team struggled. In his second year, on November 8, 1979, Pistons owner
Bill Davidson came to Vitale's house and told him that the Pistons were making a coaching change. It was twelve games into the
1979–80 Detroit Pistons season, and with the Pistons off to a 4–8 start, Vitale was fired.
A significant reason for Vitale's downfall with the Pistons was the maneuver that brought
Bob McAdoo to Detroit.
M.L. Carr's decision to sign with
Boston as a free agent in 1979 spawned a transaction in which the Pistons, with Vitale in charge of player personnel, entitled to compensation for Carr, demanded McAdoo, whom the Celtics were looking to unload due to injuries. The Pistons sent two 1980 first-round draft picks (in addition to Carr) to the Celtics in exchange for McAdoo in a combination free agent signing/trade. The Pistons would have the worst season in franchise history in 1979–80, and their pick would become the first overall pick in the
1980 draft. Boston then traded the two picks to the
Warriors (who selected
Joe Barry Carroll with the number 1 pick and
Rickey Brown with the number 13 pick) in exchange for
Robert Parish and the number 3 pick (
Kevin McHale).
[6]