An NBA Story About Nothing

If I am lucky enough to get home from work before 6pm, I consider my day to be successful because it allows me the opportunity to watch the greatest television sitcom of all-time, Seinfeld. After years of watching Seinfeld repeats, I have found new meaning in the "show about nothing." While simultaneously watching Seinfeld and reading The Book of Basketball last week, I came to the conclusion that there was one NBA team that found their success in the same manner as Seinfeld. Think about it for a minute. If you guessed the '86 Celtics you are ... wrong. Think a little harder. The '96 Bulls? No. The '87 Lakers? Wrong again. The great NBA team that best represents Seinfeld are the Pistons teams that won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. Although the Pistons will not be remembered as one of the truly great teams in NBA history (like the previously mentioned Celtics, Bulls, and Lakers teams) and Seinfeld is the greatest comedy in television history, there are still many similarities in how the Pistons and Seinfeld achieved greatness. Let's start with the most obvious tie between the Pistons and Seinfeld. The Pistons were NBA champions in 1989 and 1990, the same season that Seinfeld made its debut. To become champions, the Pistons had to knock off the Celtics and Lakers while Seinfeld needed to convince its fans that it was a better show than Cheers. The Pistons changed the way NBA teams were built (surround one superstar with another very good/great player and a slew of quality role players) and Seinfeld changed the way great sitcoms were built (surround one great comedian with a terrific ensemble cast). The Pistons of that era were led by a truly great player, Isiah Thomas. Thomas is one of the five best point guards the NBA has ever seen but he acquiesced his game to include his teammates, which made the Pistons champions in the most competitive period of professional basketball. Seinfeld was led by one of the signature comedians of the late '80s/early '90s, Jerry Seinfeld. Although his show was named for him, Jerry never went out of his way to steal the spotlight. He shared key scenes with his fellow castmates, which propelled the show to greatness. Isiah and Jerry both benefited greatly from superior supporting casts that would not have been as great as individuals but thrived in within their respective roles. Joe Dumars, who became a Hall of Famer playing alongside Isiah, is linked to George Costanza, who became the greatest television character of all-time thanks to Jerry. Dumars rose to fame as a worthy sidekick in the Pistons back court. Costanza needed Jerry to set him up for his most memorable scenes. I can even imagine Joe yelling out "It's gonna be the summer of Dumars," while accepting the MVP trophy for the '89 Finals. Dennis Rodman, the eccentric forward who thrived as a defender and rebounding specialist with a flair for the dramatic, is a kindred spirit of Kramer, Jerry's bizarro neighbor who made a career out of making the unexpected into the norm. Major bonus points are awarded in this relationship for awkward brushes with racism by Rodman (calling Larry Bird overrated because he was white in the '87 playoffs) and Michael Richardson (the man who played Kramer) sounding like David Duke during an infamous attempt at standup comedy. Elaine, Jerry's former girlfriend turned best buddy, is the Seinfeld equivalent of the surly Pistons forwards Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn. Elaine's personality, which can be politley described as "pleasantly tough," provided a necessary edge to the show. Laimbeer and Mahorn, the big men who protected Isiah and Dumars, provided toughness to the Pistons. The sixth man of the Pistons, Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson provided instant offense off the bench for the champs, just like the instant comedy provided by Kramer's friend/Jerry's nemesis, Newman. Beyond the main characters and players, both the Pistons and Seinfeld relied on many role players and bit characters that made the team/show truly great. The Pistons would not have been champions without the contributions of James Edwards, Mark Aguirre, and John Salley just like Seinfeld would not have been as consistently hilarious without George's parents, Kenny Bania, and Puddy. The legacy of those Pistons teams will not be as great as Seinfeld. The Pistons have the misfortune of falling in the middle of the Larry Bird Celtics and Magic Johnson Lakers on one side with the Michael Jordan Bulls on the other side. Seinfeld will go down in history as the greatest sitcom, the Pistons of '89 and '90 will not share that same fate.