The “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons left a lasting mark on the NBA with their bruising, aggressive style of play during an era filled with some of the league’s all-time greats. Despite competing against legends like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, they managed to win two NBA championships and even took down Jordan’s Bulls en route to one of them. Yet, according to former Pistons forward John Salley, it wasn’t Detroit that invented the “Bad Boys” persona—it was the Boston Celtics.
John Salley, a key member of the notorious Bad Boys Pistons, stirred controversy during a recent appearance on The OGs Show. While the late-’80s Pistons became synonymous with tough defense and physical play, Salley made the surprising claim that it was actually the Celtics who embodied that attitude first.
“The real bad boys were the Celtics. The Celtics had guys that would hit you, and you didn’t even know if they were on the team or not,” Salley said. “James Worthy even said it—you saw what they did.“ Salley also shared a harrowing encounter with NBA enforcer Maurice Lucas:
“Maurice Lucas tried to break my wrist and said, ‘I will break your wrist and your fingers. Don’t touch me anymore.’ And, you know, I’m playing defense, and I went like this, and I swear I almost lost my hand.” Salley said. “I pulled it back. He said, ‘I’m gonna break it.’ I’m thinking—why would you break my wrist over a basketball game?”
Isiah and Laimbeer’s Reaction
Salley also recalled how his Pistons teammates, particularly Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas, responded to the Celtics’ hard-nosed style. “Bill and Isaiah were like, ‘Hey, they’re gonna call us bad boys? Fine. We’d rather be like the Raiders.’ And we took that on—we were tough. We understood that every play mattered. We didn’t take a single possession off.“
He added perspective on how the game has evolved: “Back then, before you would score, they’d run a play. You had to remember that play. Now, you don’t even have time to think. It’s almost like a baseball game—it’s about instinct and reaction.“
The Bad Boys legacy
The “Bad Boys” Pistons of the late 1980s and early ’90s are remembered as one of the most physically imposing and mentally tough teams in NBA history. With a core that included Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and Salley himself, they built a reputation for punishing defense and no-nonsense basketball.
Under head coach Chuck Daly, Detroit embraced a gritty identity built on physicality, resilience, and tactical discipline. Their no-easy-buckets mentality became a league-wide talking point as they battled—and often beat—icons like Bird, Magic, and Jordan.
Detroit captured back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, defeating the Lakers and Trail Blazers respectively. More importantly, they played the role of gatekeepers, forcing the young Bulls to toughen up before launching their own NBA dynasty. The Pistons didn’t just win titles—they changed the league’s perception of how championships could be earned.