10 players you may have forgot played for the Detroit Pistons
By Corey Rausch
Bob McAdoo
The first Hall of Famer on this list may not be as well known to some of the younger fans, basketball historians will rave about Bob McAdoo if you will let them. His time in Detroit was far from positive so it is probably best left forgotten if you are a McAdoo fan.
Prior to coming to the Detroit Pistons McAdoo was a star for the Buffalo Braves and New York Knicks, making five All-Star appearances in his first six seasons in the league. Drafted second overall by Buffalo in the 1972 Draft and was the rookie of the year after scoring 18 points per game and grabbing 9.1 rebounds per game. He led the league in scoring the next three years and won the MVP in 1975 before being traded to the New York Knicks.
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He played a small amount of time in Boston before he was traded to Detroit for picks, one of which was eventually sent to the Golden State Warriors that allowed the Celtics to land Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. McAdoo’s first season in Detroit was under coaches Dick Vitale and Richie Adubato, who combined for a record of 16-66. McAdoo did not get along with a coach in Detroit after Vitale and was eventually waived the following season.
He signed with the New Jersey Nets after playing in Detroit but was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he won two titles with the Showtime Lakers. This relationship with Pat Riley led to McAdoo joining the Miami Heat organization after retiring from his playing career.
He was an assistant coach from 1995 to 2014 under Pat Riley, Stan Van Gundy and Erik Spoelstra and was a part of three championship teams. He then moved into a scout and community liaison role. Of all the great players to put on a Pistons uniform and not be great in the city, McAdoo is near the top.