And no, not because he’s up there homeless… because Big Ben is now a grown ass man, naturally greying, with an amazing family… and his #3 hangs in the Palace sky forever.

What an unbelievable night, maybe the best in Pistons history since those same 2.0 Bad Boys graced the court. Wow.

Admit it: Big Ben was never exactly a public speaker. But the way he presented himself, in a dapper black suit, still in great shape, family (a real one) in hand – he’s the man (like our tipsy Tom Gores said!)

Who doesn’t love Wallace, Chauncey, Rip, Rasheed, and Tayshaun Prince? And with Larry Brown, the bench in tow, the trainer, the past Pistons legends, and George Blaha announcing? I’ll admit, it was a well put-together night.

I miss those 2004 champions. The way Ben articulated what each brought to the table and the way they characterized him was so genuine. When he pointed out after the cameras dim that they’re all still friends, do you realize how rare that is?

The young Pistons were equally inspired by their previous lords. We shocked the world and Golden State, pummeling them into submission by the end of four quarters. We just went really hard. Kentavious had a clutch first half; Andre struggled at times in foul trouble to find his shot but still hauled in 20+; Jackson never withered; the bench was a lift, with Baynes and Blake; Morris was rock-solid; Stanley did his thing… and for the life of me, I can’t remember anything the Warriors did except play like complete bitches…

No one should ever be afraid of those tiny microscopic punks. THIS ONE WAS FOR THE FIRST PLAYER OF MY GENERATION TO HANG IN THE RAFTERS: #3… BbbbbbEN…. WWWWWWWWALLACE!