How the Detroit Pistons Became the NBA's Best Story

Not long ago, the Detroit Pistons were a punchline, a young team buried at the bottom of the standings. In 2025-26 they became the NBA's best story, and even fans on the other side of the world who do not normally follow Detroit found themselves checking the scores. This is how a rebuild finally clicked.

A historic regular season

The Pistons finished 60-22, the third-best record in franchise history and good enough for first place in the Eastern Conference. That was their first 60-win season since the great 2005-06 team, and it ended a string of milestones long overdue in Detroit: their first 50-win season since 2007-08, their first Central Division title since 2008, and the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time since 2007. The turnaround had an early signature moment too, a 13-game winning streak from late October into November that tied the longest in franchise history and announced that this season would be different.

The Cade Cunningham leap

At the centre of it all is Cade Cunningham. The guard delivered a true superstar season, averaging 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds a game, and was rewarded with a place on the All-NBA First Team, alongside MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. That is elite company, and it confirms Cunningham as a genuine franchise cornerstone. Remarkably, he did it after missing time with a punctured lung, appearing in 64 games, one short of the awards threshold, before winning an appeal to be considered. Big man Jalen Duren also earned All-NBA recognition, proof that Detroit's rise was built on more than one star.

The playoff run

The postseason brought the franchise's first taste of success in years. The Pistons fell behind 3-1 in their opening series against Orlando, then roared back to win it, becoming just the 15th team in NBA history to overturn a 3-1 deficit, and claiming Detroit's first playoff series win since 2008. The run ended in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where the Cleveland Cavaliers edged a tense seven-game series. A heartbreaker, but also a marker: Detroit belongs in the conversation again.

Why this story travels

For newer NBA fans, including a growing audience in Malaysia, the Pistons are the perfect team to adopt. There is no fatigue, no dynasty baggage, just a likeable young core climbing the mountain in real time. Following a team on the way up is far more fun than jumping on a bandwagon, and Detroit's rise offers exactly that arc: pain, patience, breakthrough.

What comes next

The challenge now is sustaining it. Surprise seasons can be one-offs if teams stand still, but Detroit's success is built on youth, which usually means there is more growth to come. With Cunningham entering his prime and a supporting cast that just tasted the second round, the Pistons have turned rebuilding into contending, and the league has been put on notice.

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