The Pistons left Zollner off their roster when they joined the Basketball Association of America for the 1948–1949 season. They later joined the NBA when the BAA and NBL merged to form the league in 1949. In 1955 and 1956, the Pistons made it to the NBA championships, but they were defeated both times.The franchising firm was relocated to Detroit in 1957 in order to benefit from the financial advantages of a larger market. Thomas was contacted by Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, and Vinnie Johnson to put together teams that have gone to the NBA Finals three times in a row. The Los Angeles Lakers won the title in a thrilling six-game series in 1988, but the Detroit Pistons went on to defeat the Lakers in a rematch in 1989 to capture the franchise's first championship since its move to Detroit 32 years earlier. In 1990, the Pistons defeated the Portland Trail Blazers to successfully defend their championship. These Detroit teams played in a very aggressive manner, which some could claim earned them the moniker "Bad Boys," and were led by coach Chuck Daly.
In total, the Pistons of that time period made it to the Eastern Conference finals six times in a row. The Pistons are now in a rebuilding process after the majority of their key players left at the conclusion of the 2009–10 season. After the 2013–14 season, after the Pistons' playoff losing record had reached five seasons, Dumars was fired from his front-office role.
