Customer Reviews

NBA Champions 2003 - 2004 - Detroit Pistons

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Let me begin with telling you that I enjoyed watching the main program of this DVD, which covered highlights and interviews with the players and staff of the Detroit Pistons and their opponents in their 2004 Larry O' Brian Trophy victory. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, I also believe that this DVD was a little rushed, and could have, and should have a LOT more content (only 88 minutes long with the special features). This DVD has absolutely no game coverage, not even the fifth and final game of the 2004 playoffs between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers. It should have shown at least the second half of that game. I also believe that it could have shown some game coverage of the series against the Indiana Pacers. Also, many of the special features were very poorly done, some only about one minute long, and I don't know many people who would want to watch the pre-series and post-series analysis. And even though I am not a hard-core Pistons fan, I would still be very dissapointed with this DVD if I was.

Ok, here is a real review. This DVD seems like it is rushed, it didn't even include the game-clinching quarters in their entirety (like the Spurs DVD), or even the final game! The Lightning DVD contains the full Game 7! The quality is nice, but it's just one highlight reel, and is the same clips they show on NBA TV. Disappointing DVD. Great championship, but the disc could've been better.

Obviously this disc is a look back at the incredible 2003-2004 championship season of the Detroit Pistons who shocked the NBA by winning the title and defeating the L.A. Lakers. first of all I will dispute the person who called this the biggest upset since Villanova defeated Georgetown. This was not an upset at all...You don't beat a team 4 games to 1 by an average of 13 points and have it an upset. The Pistons dismantled the Lakers plain and simple. The lakers may have had the two best players in Shaq and Kobe but the Pistons had the best team. They were bigger, faster, and played smarter and played better defense that the bloated, overrated Lakers. This DVD while it could have been longer includes great content including a look back at the entire season includig playoffs as well as bonus features:

A Blue Collar Team

Joe Dumars Brings Back the Glory Days

The Work Ethic of Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace Finals Trophy TV Spot

Behind the Scenes with Richard Hamilton

Larry Brown and Rasheed Wallace

Pre-Finals Series Analysis

Post-Finals Series Analysis

A must have for any Pistons fan and lets make it a repeat in 2005!

Not a very good DVD. No depth at all. I think ESPN gives you better highlights than this DVD does. What a rush job.
No realtime highlights or anything. Just boring and not much thought. Very disappointed.

The 2003-2004 Pistons were arguably one of the best teams ever assembled in the National Basketball Association. Not only is it made up of the exact same starters as the 2005-2006 season, but the teams bench had more depth to it. Throughout the 03-04 season, the Pistons were called the "underdog" in just about every big game they competed in. In the beginning of the season, no analyst picked the Pistons to go all the way to the finals and win it, however, the Pistons could have cared less what these analysts had to say. The swagger and composure these Pistons carried themselves was something in it's own right.

Coached by one of the greated coaches in NBA history, Larry Brown, the Pistons had all the right ingredients for an NBA championship. Ben Wallace, the forward/center out of Virginia Union University, was undrafted and had few minutes on the court with any other NBA team, came to the Pistons and tore it up on the defensive end setting the tone and what Detroit basketball was all about. Chauncy Billups was brought here to lead the offense as point guard and no one could run it more smoothe than the one they call "Mr. Big Shot" (Billups). Rip Hamiltons ability to knock down the mid-range jumper heated up throughout the playoffs and he also was a decisive reason the Pistons came out victorious. TayShaun Prince, the only Piston player to be drafted out of the University of Kentucky, was a quiet, yet loud maker on the defensive end. Prince is most known for his block on future Hall of Famer, Reggie Miller. Lastly, Rasheed Wallace was the last piece of the puzzle to fill in the power foward position. Detroit fans knew the Pistons would have made the playoffs, regardless, however, it was questioned on how far they could succeed. Rasheed Wallce is arguably the reason that the Pistons were put over the top and won the NBA Finals in 03-04.

Behind this master plan, was Head of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, who transformed this average basketball team into a power house it is today. Dumars collected all the right players in which what he thought would be the perfect fit for a Detroit Pistons franchise. This DVD is a perfect purchase for any Detroit Piston fan, or any basketball lover who can appreciate a solid basketball team.

Being a die-hard Laker fan, I will admit that Detroit was the better team. Were it not for Kobe's three with 2.1 ticks left on the clock in Game 2, the 2004 NBA Finals would have been a clean sweep.

In 2004, Larry Brown cemented his status as one of the greatest basketball coaches ever. Phil Jackson is #1. Red Auerbach is #2. Larry gets my vote for #3 not because he's the only coach to win at both the college and professional levels, but because he's the only coach who ever got the L.A. Clippers to finish a season with a winning record! Still, Larry's only got one ring. Nine is more than one.

Anyhoo, Detroit made all the right moves in the front office, bought into their "all for one and one for all" system and spanked L.A.

Before I continue, I must correct the moron who gave this DVD 5 stars. Ahem! Detroit plays in the EASTERN CONFERENCE! I'm not saying their road to the Finals was easy, but the West (before L.A. traded Shaq) was the dominant conference.

Think about it. In the 1st round, the Lakers had to square off against Yao Ming--the Shaq of the future...if he gets mean enough. Then, we had to face the DEFENDING CHAMPION San Antonio Spurs where we overcame an 0-2 deficit and where Derek Fisher's miracle at the buzzer in Game 5 iced the series. Then, in the conference finals, we faced LEAGUE MVP Kevin Garnett. If you think that's "the easy route" to the Finals, then you're a basketball nincompoop.

Truth is, we ran out of gas. Karl Malone was the heart and soul of the 2003-04 Lakers. We started off 18-3 to start the season and started blowing chunks once Malone's knee got hurt. He got healthy again and we started winning again. However, once his 41 year old knees gave out in the Finals, that was it.

Furthermore, blame Kobe for putrid shooting performances in Games 1, 3, 4 & 5...as well as breaking up this latest Laker dynasty once the season was over. I was once ready to equate him with MJ...but he really isn't even close to being at that level yet.

Kobe Bryant is a brooding, ball-hogging egomaniac who doesn't make his teammates better and sabotages games when he's accused of shooting the ball too much. His teammates despise him and his legal woes cast a pall over the entire season.

Then, he pulled the genius moves of getting the Lakers to fire Phil Jackson and trade Shaquille O'Neal. BRILLIANT! Look, Phil was burned out and didn't even COACH during the Detroit series...he was sick of Kobe by then. And Snack's lack of dedication to conditioning as well as his overbearing contract demands didn't help either. But, Kobe effectively showed them the door. Goodbye Laker dynasty.

Detroit, celebrate your championship. Now you have the fun of defending it. I'll tell you from experience: IT AIN'T EASY. So, have fun competing for the title while we struggle to make the playoffs.

My daughter loves to watch old games...this is more of a documentary with not much actual game time shown. Disappointing.

Deployed Soldiers hate the Lakers. The Lakers embody the exact opposite of the military. Almost all the Lakers, especially Shaq and Payton, act like selfish children and felt that they were owed a championship. The only Laker I really respected was Derek Fisher because he was a class act throughout the playoffs and that .4 second shot was amazing, but he didnt act arrogant after he hit it but more like surprised and excited. On the other hand you have the Detroit Pistons. Except for Rasheed Wallace, who I got to admit has really cleaned up his act since he joined the Pistons, the Pistons are full of hard working guys who have traveled from team to team. Like Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton, who came from the Washington Wizards while Michael Jordan was drooling over pathetic Kwame Brown. Tayshaun Prince, if I remember, was drafted low. All these guys came together and were led by Larry Brown, the best coach ever, not some guy who rode the coattails of talented players to the championship. The Pistons had a hard road to the Championship, losing one to the bucks, losing 3 in a row to the Nets including a Game 5 3OT heart stopper, and losing the first one at home to the Pacers, the only other Eastern Team that can compete in the West. Meanwhile the Lakers went through a Houston Team that had no offense, a San Antonio team that was slumping, and an inexperienced Timberwolves team. After Kobe's tying three pointer to force overtime and an eventual win in Game 2, the media was jumping on this "hero" and comparing him to Jordan and recrowning the LA Dynasty only to see the Pistons embarrass them the next three games. Now Shaq wants to be traded and Kobe wants to leave and Karl Malone may retire means next year the Lakers may come out with Payton and 11 scrubs LOL. Oh yeah, this was one of the highest rated NBA Finals since the Jordan era so obviously it means that people enjoy watching the Lakers lose. GO PISTONS!!!!

If this DVD is anything like the Spurs DVD last year (with the winning 4th quarters and bios on the players and the team and a music video) then I definitely recommend it.

I relive the Pistons moments everytime I watch this DVD. Even though it does'nt have much of the Game as such. Its great Pistons fan collectible for this price...

First of all, could someone from Amazon PLEASE edit out the preceding posts (including mine of course). Only one even mentions the DVD as if he really saw it. I have not yet, and I came here hoping to get some insight on whether it's worth buying. Instead, I end up in a friggin sports forum that has NOTHING to do with the DVD.

Secondly, would someone who has actually seen the DVD PLEASE write a decent in-depth review. I don't feel like doling out $20 for a 60-minute commercial if that's all it's going to be.

Thank you for your support!