1979–80 Detroit Pistons season
The 1979–80 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 32nd season in the NBA and 23rd season in the city of Detroit. The Pistons were coming off a 30–52 (.366) record from their first season in the Eastern Conference, and aiming to halt declines of six and eight wins from their previous two seasons, but by finishing 16–66 (.195) they had the worst record in franchise history at the time, and the worst NBA record since the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers won only nine games.
| 1979–80 Detroit Pistons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dick Vitale Richie Adubato |
| General manager | Jack McCloskey |
| Owners | William Davidson |
| Arena | Pontiac Silverdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 16–66 (.195) |
| Place | Division: 6th (Central) Conference: 11th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WKBD-TV |
| Radio | WJR |
Coach Dick Vitale, who was also in charge of player personnel, was fired 12 games into the season, having pushed for a disastrous trade with the Boston Celtics for Bob McAdoo when Pistons free agent M.L. Carr signed with Boston that would eventually net the Celtics key championship components Carr, Robert Parrish, and Kevin McHale in a series of exchanges. Injuries to McAdoo and center Bob Lanier, who was traded during the season, left the Pistons a depleted roster and the team finished with fourteen consecutive defeats. Second year players John Long (19.4 ppg) and Terry Tyler (12.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) had solid seasons to lead the overwhelmed Pistons.