Top 22 Detroit Pistons commercials
Posted by pistonsnationWhile we wait for something to break we here at PN have compiled and sorted a list of the top 22 Pistons commercials.
There were three criteria a vid had to possess to be part of the list:
The clip has to be advertising or promoting something- Has to be available on YouTube. The Isiah Thomas Detroit Edison “look up” PSA would have been #1 if it were found. There was also that Ben Wallace shape shifting afro commercial for Ford that didn’t seem to be available.
- The subject had to be a member of the Pistons team or organization at the time the commercial was made. So that glorious Dennis Rodman Japanese tire spot had to regretfully be omitted.
22. Rick Mahorn for Superior Nissan: This is a play of the very viral Top Gun Motors video.
Bonus: George Blaha for HeatKeeper. Kinda boring, but George is the man!
21. Pistons MP3 player: Rasheed, Tayshaun, McDyess, and Dale Davis get down to help promote the sales of Pistons MP3 players with proceeds going to help the fight against breast cancer.
20. Ben Wallace “Trophy Love’n” for ‘04 Finals on ABC: “She’s all I think about. Night and day, day and night. I got it bad”.
19. Ben Wallace Gatorade Fierce Commercial: Big Ben teams up with Vince Carter and Dwyane Wade to play a little night time 3-on-3 against some of the And1 cats. In the process they obliterate a playground court.
Bonus: Ben Wallace & Ali G for TNT NBA Thursday: Ben lets Ali G in on the secret to becoming tall.
18. Isiah Thomas “Don’t Foul Out” NBA PSA: The NBA’s anti-drug campaign from 1987.
Bonus: Same campaign but this time Isiah is joined by the “NBA Family” that includes: Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, and David Stern among others.
17. Tayshaun for Wallside Windows: Local fans are quite familiar with Tayshaun blocking unwanted shots whilst Wallside Windows is blocking the unwanted drafts…so where were they in 2003??
Bonus: Tayshaun for the NBA’s “Where Will Amazing Happen This Year”: 2009 promo for the Playoffs featuring Tayshuan’s game saving swat against Hedo Turkoglu in the 2nd round of the 2008 playoffs. They also made one for “The Block” that was of course on Reggie Miller in the 2004 ECF.
16. Isiah for the 1992 Toyota Celica: No matter how much you want to be Isiah, you can’t. But as a consolation you can bump “Pump It Up Pistons” in his Celica. I love what you do for me Toyota.
Bonus: Isiah for the 1991 Toyota Celica: Isiah transforms the playground runt into a baller and then is outty in his red drop-top Celica whip.
15. Grant Hill for his Fila GH4’s: Fila’s were pretty crappy hoopin’ shoes, but this is a smooth commercial.
Bonus: Grant Hill w/ Larry Bird for McDonalds: Larry Legend knows Grant’s weakness; Micky D’s fries. They go straight to G-Hill’s ankles!
14. Grant Hill and Jerome Williams for NBA’s “I Love This Game” campaign: Hill and JYD are dishing gourmet vittles while their jerseys are making the fans queasy.
13. Chauncey Billups “Teammates” Adidas commercial: CB talking about the importance of a cohesive team. F%*&K!!
12. Rip for Rahmani Eye Institute: Rip delivers the line “my days of wearing contacts are gone” with the same raw bravado as DeNiro’s “you talkin’ to me?”.
Bonus: Rip w/ David Blaine for the NBA Playoffs: David Blaine is just terrible.
11. Rip for Jordan Brand: With Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Joe Johnson. “Field Generals” is a cool commercial giving you a game within the game perspective (2009). That’s it, no witty joke on this one.
10. Isiah for Minute Maid: Patrick Ewing and Dominique Wilkins go 1-on-1 for the last can of Minute Maid. Isiah pulls championship ring rank and simply Bogart’s the orange drink. I seem to remember another one of these where the 3 of them are playing croquet. Does Minute Maid still exist?
9. Billups Adidas’ Impossible is Nothing: Mr. Big Shot vs. a personified parquet floor. Who ya got?
Bonus: Chauncey’s “It Takes 5ive” Adidas spot: “You’re not a fool, are you?”
8. Chuck Daly w/ Sparky Anderson designated driver PSA: Two Detroit sports coaching legends. R.I.P. Daddy Rich.
7. John Salley for Jack’s Place: (1989) Spider transforms a Flock of Seagulls wannabe into a Goodfella.
6. Rasheed Wallace for Nike: Nike knows that you have to light a fire up under Sheed’s ass to get him to go to the hoop.
5. Rip for Boost Mobile: I kind of wish Rip didn’t have Boost Mobile back in the early 80’s. He’s a good two-guard, but he’s a pimp funeral director.
Bonus: Ben Wallace for T-Mobile: Ben cakes over the phone while T-Mobile rapes him with all their B.S. charges. You suck T-Mobile!
4. Dee-troit Basketball dog: It’s estimated that dogs have about 10 vocal inflections. I’d give up my dogs other 9 for this one. (From the Pistons “One Call For Us All” campaign)
Bonus: Chauncey Billups We Work As One – Silence: From the “Going to Work” days; Chauncey’s famous halfcourter against the Nets in the ‘04 Playoffs helps to promote the Pistons opening week schedule.
3. Isiah for Converse Weapons: (1986-87) The Weapons are an iconic basketball sneaker and this commercial is truly a classic from the league’s Golden Age. Isiah does an old school rap collabo with Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, (then Maverick) Mark Aguirre, Bernard King, and a very cringe worthy Larry Bird.
Bonus: Isiah for the NBA’s FANtastic campaign: (1987) Here’s some vintage and kinda creepy Zekeness.
2. Ben Wallace w/ Tracy Morgan for ESPN NBA Basketball: “The way I dunk on you is gonna look unorthodoxt”
1. Grant Hill for Sprite: Any time someone gets packed by the rim it’s known as a ‘Sprite dunk’ thanks to this commercial.
Bonus: Grant Hill for Sprite: Grant destroys a little pudgy kid’s confidence.
How’d we do? Feel free to share you thoughts in the comments!
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 3:56 pm and is filed under PN articles, Pistons historical society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
[...] This is just awesome: 22 commercials featuring Detroit Pistons. [...]
June 9th, 2009 at 4:08 pmIsiah for the 1991 Celica is definitely the best of the bunch, and you left it out of your top 22!
June 9th, 2009 at 6:42 pmThanks for the feedback MaskedMahorn!
I like it too. It was a choice between the 1991 & 1992. I knew one would make the list and one would get the the honorable mention. It’s really a toss up IMO between the two.
Hey, wasn’t there a Bill Laimbeer “Child Abuse” NBA PSA? I seem to recall one.
This is amazing. Great work, as usual.
June 9th, 2009 at 11:41 pm[...] Maybe it’s because I grew up in the boondocks and didn’t actually realize that local TV ads everywhere else are equally bad, but they are one of my favorite things ever. Thus, The Top 22 Pistons Commercials. [...]
June 10th, 2009 at 7:15 amThanks Brian. I’ll admit I had an awful lot of fun with this post.
June 10th, 2009 at 9:13 amTWO GLARING OMISSIONS – The Dunhams add with Chuck Nevit,
and the BEST commerial ever – The ‘oh Isiah’ , ‘oh mom’ adds from Detroit Edison – THIS SHOULD BE NUMBER ONE.
AND don’t for get the Kelly Tripucka ‘Kelly Tire’ adds where he hooks one into a stck of tires – classic
June 11th, 2009 at 9:45 amgreat post! but.. what about that ’sheed wallace nike commercial where he explains his tattoos? that one is hard to find on the internet for some reason…
June 11th, 2009 at 7:49 pmI definitely would have included those commercials had they been available on YouTube :/
June 11th, 2009 at 8:56 pm