The Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons won back-to-back championships despite their controversial reputation and being widely disliked for their aggressive style, largely because they functioned as a family unit.
According to John Salley’s admission, their brotherhood was perfectly illustrated during the 1990 NBA Finals when the team immediately halted their celebrations upon learning of Joe Dumars’ personal loss.
Joe Dumars took over Game 3 of the 1990 Finals
Though the Pistons were the defending champions and the stakes were high during the 1990 championship round, with both Detroit and Portland Trail Blazers finishing the regular season with a 59-23 record and registering a clean sweep in their respective first-round series.
However, during that stretch, Dumars was dealing with a heart-wrenching personal situation – his father, Joe Sr., who had long suffered from diabetes and had suffered a leg amputation, was in intensive care with a grim prognosis…