15 stars you forgot played for the Detroit Pistons

11. Alvin Robertson

One of the greatest defensive guards of all time, Alvin Robertson made a name for himself with the Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks as a six-time All-Defensive Team pick, three-time league leader in steals, and the 1985-86 Defensive Player of the Year.

He also won Most Improved Player in 1985-86, and was a four-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA pick. At his peak, Robertson averaged over 19 points, six assists and three steals per game. He is still the NBA’s all-time leader in steals per game (2.7), and ranks ninth in total steals.

Of the four players who have recorded a quadruple-double in an NBA game, Robertson is the only one who had steals as one of his double-digit categories: He put up 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a game while playing for the Spurs in 1986.

Back injuries started to take a toll on Robertson, however, and midway through the 1992-93 season he was traded to the Pistons. In their primes — which was just a few years earlier — a backcourt rotation of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Alvin Robertson would have been unfair to the rest of the league. But by 1993, Thomas and Robertson were nearing the end of the road.

In 30 games for the Pistons, Robertson averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. The Pistons missed the playoffs that year, and Robertson was forced to sit out the next two full seasons due to his bad back.

Robertson made a comeback for one final season in 1995-96 with the expansion Toronto Raptors — he actually scored the first points in franchise history — and he was still good enough to snatch 2.2 steals per game as a starter.