30 FOR 30: BAD BOYS (TV)

Summary

One in this series of sports documentaries presented by ESPN about important figures and events in athletic history. This program explores the notorious Detroit Pistons basketball team during their eventful seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Several Detroit natives explain that the "psyche" of the city was strongly impacted by the 1967 riots, prompting many, including the Pistons team itself in 1978, to move into the suburbs. Inexperienced general manager Jack McCloskey sought young Isiah Thomas in the 1981 draft and later acquired Cleveland Cavaliers player Bill Laimbeer, and the two talented athletes soon proved to work well together despite their personal dissimilarities. Thomas memorably scored sixteen points in 94 seconds during the 1984 playoffs, and McCloskey soon hired his longtime friend Chuck Daly as the team's coach. In the 1985 playoffs, the Pistons lost to the Boston Celtics and their famous player Larry Bird, creating a rivalry that would last several more seasons. Joe Dumars, who long idolized Thomas, was soon brought to the team, as was Rick Mahorn, though Mahorn resented the trade and initially antagonized his new teammates.

McCloskey also added the "stoic" Adrian Dantley as well as John Salley from Brooklyn and the soon-to-be-infamous Dennis Rodman, who started out as an airport janitor before deciding to take advantage of his height with sports, and the team rose to even higher prominence. Rodman became personally close with Daly, known as "Daddy Rich" for his debonair style, and the team soon faced off against the Celtics but were again defeated by Bird, with Thomas admitting that he "panicked" and allowed Bird to steal a crucial inbound pass. Rodman then commented to reporters that Bird was only considered a world-class player because of his race, a sentiment echoed by Thomas, and the two were condemned in the press for their "reverse racism." Laimbeer and Mahorn opted to take advantage of their reputation as "villains" by emphasizing their aggressive playing style and frequent fouls, with Mahorn memorably fouling Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan. Detroit, however, loved their home team for their fearless, "blue-collar" determination, and matters improved when they finally defeated the Celtics in 1988. During Game 6 of the playoffs, Thomas impressed everyone by playing an exceptional game against the Lakers on an injured ankle, though the Pistons lost the game, and the championship, by a sole point thanks to a free throw by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and several of the players state that they still feel "robbed" by the controversial call.

The 1988-89 season was plagued with in-fighting and personal disagreements between the players, leading to Dantley being traded for Mavericks player Mark Aguirre, a choice met with great frustration by many Detroit fans. Thomas, however, a longtime friend of Aguirre, attempted to make peace amongst the players, and the team enjoyed a strong season, though were heavily fined for their many fights on the court. Thomas soon developed "The Jordan Rules," a highly secretive set of plays specifically designed to outwit Jordan's moves, and the Pistons advanced to the 1989 finals, once again against the Lakers. The won the championship through a combination of athletic and psychological strategy, and the players describe their sense of overwhelming joy at the win, which was then celebrated by an extravagant parade in Detroit. Mahorn was then unexpectedly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the expansion draft, however, and the tightly-bonded team did poorly in the start of the following season, feeling "out of sorts" after the loss of one of their own.

Aguirre made the surprising choice to take himself out of the starting line for the sake of the team, and Rodman became the "dirty-work man" and later won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, much to his own relief and delight. Elsewhere, however, Jordan was improving his skills, as was his "sidekick" Scottie Pippen, though Pippen's severe migraine headache contributed to the Bulls' loss to the Pistons in Game 7. Dumars was crushed by the death of his father, of which he was not informed until after the conclusion of Game 3, but the team managed to defend its title and win its second championship against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team began to "unwind" in 1991, largely due to the players' ages and fatigue, and Jordan openly criticized the team's "dirty" playing in the press. At the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons memorably walked off the court with seconds remaining in the game without shaking the Bulls' hands, a choice seen as undignified and unsportsmanlike. Thomas was left off the roster for the Olympic "dream team" in 1992 and later retired after tearing his Achilles tendon. Laimbeer retired in 1993, though in an ironic twist, Rodman later enjoyed a successful career with the Bulls, alongside former rival Jordan. Dumars remained with the Pistons until 1999, and Jordan reflects that he would likely not have enjoyed his own extreme fame and success if he had not been "pushed" by the talent and belligerence of the Pistons. Other experts conclude that the Pistons will be remembered for "interrupting the glamour party" of the NBA at the time with their down-to-earth style and fearless attitudes. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: ESPN
• DATE: April 17, 2014 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:45:44
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: 114742
• GENRE: Sports
• SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Sports; Sports; Basketball
• SERIES RUN: ESPN - TV series, 2009-
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - ESPN "30 for 30" website

CREDITS

• Danny Meiseles … Executive Producer
• Dion Cocoros … Executive Producer
• John Dahl … Executive Producer
• Connor Schell … Executive Producer
• Bill Simmons … Executive Producer
• Don Cheney … Coordinating Producer
• Kori Davis Porter … Coordinating Producer
• Annette Ricciuti … Coordinating Producer
• Sean Kelly … Senior Producer
• Andy Billman … Producer
• Erin Leyden … Producer
• Deirde Fenton … Producer
• Libby Guest … Producer
• Dan Silver … Producer
• Perry Crowell … Associate Producer
• Jenna Anthony … Associate Producer
• Brian D'Ostilio … Associate Producer
• Sean Coulter … Remote Producer
• Steve Michaud … Remote Producer
• Chris Weber … Remote Producer
• Steven Weintraub … Remote Producer
• Zak Levitt … Director, Writer
• Aaron Cohen … Writer
• Joel Goodman … Music by
• Kid Rock (see also: Robert Ritchie) … Narrator
• Jack McCloskey … Interviewee
• Isiah Thomas … Interviewee
• Bill Laimbeer … Interviewee
• Joe Dumars … Interviewee
• Rick Mahorn … Interviewee
• Adrian Dantley … Interviewee
• John Salley … Interviewee
• Dennis Rodman … Interviewee
• Mark Aguirre … Interviewee
• Michael Jordan … Interviewee
• Scotty Pippen … Interviewee
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Larry Bird
• Chuck Daly