Fred Zollner

ABOUT FRED ZOLLNER

"Mr. Pro Basketball" who founded the Detroit Pistons basketball team, which was named after his automobile piston manufacturing company.

His assembled squad the Fort Wayne Pistons was originally founded to play in the industrial league, but upon finding they were able to beat every other team, they entered the NBA.

He personally recruited future Hall-of-Fame players like Bob McDermott and Andy Phillip to his team. On occasion, he used his charter plane to fly in other NBA teams whom they were playing against.

He and his sister were born in Little Falls, Minnesota. She would go on to help him form the Pistons.

His dual interests in business and basketball were reflected in Mark Cuban 's 2000 purchase of the majority of the Dallas Mavericks.