The 2003–04 Detroit Pistons season was the 63rd season for the Pistons, the 56th in the National Basketball Association, and the 47th in the Detroit area. Despite a solid year the previous season, the Pistons received the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, which they obtained from the Memphis Grizzlies. They selected Darko Miličić as their top pick but only used him as a reserve, as he played limited minutes off the bench; he would later be regarded as one of the most suboptimal picks in the history of the NBA draft. After their first trip to the Conference Finals since 1991, the Pistons hired Larry Brown as head coach. Under Brown, the Pistons were once again a tough defensive team, as they went on a 13-game winning streak between December and January. However, after a solid 33–16 start, they struggled in February, losing six straight games. At midseason, the team acquired All-Star forward Rasheed Wallace from the Atlanta Hawks after playing just one game for them. With the addition of Wallace, the Pistons won 16 of their final 19 games, finishing second in the Central Division with a 54–28 record. Ben Wallace was selected for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. The Pistons went on to win the NBA Championship for the third time in franchise history, with Miličić being the youngest player to win said championship.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in five games despite losing Game 2 at home. In the semifinals, they faced the New Jersey Nets who swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals in the previous year. The Pistons would win the first two games at home, but the Nets would put up a fight against the Pistons by winning 3 straight games to take a 3–2 series lead, which included a triple overtime win in Game 5 at The Palace. However, with the Pistons facing elimination, the Pistons were digging an early hole in Game 6, but the Pistons were able to erase a 13–2 deficit and never trailed for the remainder of the game as they would refuse to relinquish the lead to the Nets and win Game 6 81–75. In Game 7, the Pistons stingy defense held Jason Kidd to 0 points to beat the Nets 90–69 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they defeated the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in a defensive six game series to earn their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1990. In the Finals, the Pistons would pull off one of the greatest upsets in NBA Finals history by defeating the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers four games to one, winning their third overall championship and first since 1990. Chauncey Billups was named Finals MVP. The 2004 Pistons are one of only three teams, alongside the 1951 Rochester Royals and 1979 Seattle Supersonics, to win an NBA title before 2021 without a single player named to the 2021 NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Team 1 2 Darko Miličić Forward/Center Hemofarm Vrsac (Serbia and Montenegro and Adriatic League) 1 25 Carlos Delfino Guard Unión de Santa Fe (Argentina) 2 58 Andreas Glyniadakis Center AEK Athens (Greece)

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Game log

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | October 29 | Indiana | | Wallace, Prince (16) | Ben Wallace (17) | Chauncey Billups (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 0–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 31 | @ Miami | | Chauncey Billups (27) | Ben Wallace (15) | Tayshaun Prince (5) | American Airlines Arena15,825 | 1–1

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | November 1 | @ Orlando | | Richard Hamilton (20) | Ben Wallace (17) | Chauncey Billups (4) | TD Waterhouse Centre14,588 | 2–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | November 5 | Boston | | Chauncey Billups (27) | Ben Wallace (13) | Chauncey Billups (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills17,376 | 3–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | November 7 | Milwaukee | | Chauncey Billups (27) | Ben Wallace (15) | Chauncey Billups (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,204 | 4–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | November 9 | New Jersey | | Richard Hamilton (24) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chauncey Billups (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,664 | 5–1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 7 | November 11 | @ Sacramento | | Richard Hamilton (19) | Mehmet Okur (9) | Hamilton, Billups (3) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 5–2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | November 12 | @ Golden State | | Chauncey Billups (19) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chauncey Billups (12) | The Arena in Oakland14,382 | 5–3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | November 14 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Chauncey Billups (29) | Mehmet Okur (9) | Billups, Hamilton (5) | Staples Center18,997 | 5–4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 10 | November 15 | @ Phoenix | | Richard Hamilton (27) | Ben Wallace (16) | Tayshaun Prince (5) | America West Arena15,681 | 6–4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 11 | November 18 | L.A. Lakers | | Chauncey Billups (25) | Ben Wallace (15) | Chauncey Billups (8) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 7–4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | November 19 | @ Memphis | | Chauncey Billups (33) | Mehmet Okur (9) | Tayshaun Prince (6) | Pyramid Arena13,340 | 8–4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | November 21 | New York | | Chauncey Billups (23) | B. Wallace, Okur (9) | Chauncey Billups (3) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 9–4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 14 | November 23 | New Orleans | | Prince, Hamilton (13) | Mehmet Okur (18) | Chauncey Billups (9) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 9–5 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | November 24 | @ Atlanta | | Chauncey Billups (24) | Ben Wallace (15) | Billups, Sura (4) | Philips Arena18,255 | 10–5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | November 26 | @ Philadelphia | | Richard Hamilton (19) | Ben Wallace (8) | Richard Hamilton (6) | Wachovia Center20,512 | 10–6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | November 28 | Cleveland | | Richard Hamilton (44) | Ben Wallace (15) | Tayshaun Prince (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 11–6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 18 | November 29 | @ Washington | | Richard Hamilton (25) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chauncey Billups (6) | MCI Center16,853 | 12–6

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | December 1 | @ New York | | Chauncey Billups (24) | Ben Wallace (14) | Richard Hamilton (6) | Madison Square Garden17,082 | 13–6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 20 | December 3 | Miami | | Richard Hamilton (18) | Ben Wallace (21) | B. Wallace, Billups, Prince (3) | The Palace of Auburn Hills17,703 | 14–6 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 21 | December 6 | @ Houston | | Richard Hamilton (17) | Ben Wallace (10) | Chauncey Billups (4) | Toyota Center18,144 | 14–7 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 22 | December 9 | Philadelphia | | Chauncey Billups (29) | Ben Wallace (9) | Richard Hamilton (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,166 | 14–8 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 23 | December 11 | @ Cleveland | | Richard Hamilton (19) | Ben Wallace (9) | Richard Hamiton (8) | Gund Arena15,115 | 14–9 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 24 | December 12 | Seattle | | Ben Wallace (14) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chauncey Billups (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,244 | 14–10 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 17 | Chicago | | Richaed Hamilton (20) | Ben Wallace (15) | Prince, Hamilton, Atkins (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills17,041 | 15–10 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | December 19 | @ Indiana | | Chauncey Billups (13) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chauncey Billups (3) | Conseco Fieldhouse16,383 | 15–11 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 21 | Utah | | Chauncey Billups (19) | Ben Wallace (13) | Chauncey Billups (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 16–11 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 28 | December 23 | @ Milwaukee | | Richard Hamilton (17) | Ben Wallace (20) | Hamilton, Billups (4) | Bradley Center15,081 | 16–12 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 29 | December 26 | New Jersey | | Richard Hamilton (20) | Ben Wallace (18) | Ben Wallace (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 16–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 30 | December 27 | @ Atlanta | | Richard Hamilton (28) | Ben Wallace (10) | Chauncey Billups (4) | Philips Arena19,445 | 17–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 31 | December 29 | New Orleans | | Chauncey Billups (31) | Ben Wallace (18) | Richard Hamilton (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 18–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | December 31 | Portland | | Chauncey Billups (22) | Ben Wallace (15) | Chauncey Billups (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,458 | 19–13

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 33 | January 2 | Phoenix | | Richard Hamilton (26) | Ben Wallace (22) | Hamilton, Billups (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 20–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | January 3 | Golden State | | Tayshaun Prince (20) | Tayshaun Prince (9) | Chauncey Billups (10) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,719 | 21–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 35 | January 5 | @ Boston | | Richard Hamilton (15) | Ben Wallace (16) | Ben Wallace (5) | FleetCenter13,015 | 22–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | January 7 | Houston | | Richard Hamilton (16) | Ben Wallace (15) | Chauncey Billups (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills19,111 | 23–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 11 | Dallas | | Chauncey Billups (27) | Ben Wallace (13) | Prince, Billups (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 24–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | January 13 | @ Chicago | | Richard Hamilton (24) | Ben Wallace (17) | Prince, Billups (7) | United Center17,295 | 25–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 39 | January 14 | Toronto | | Hamilton, Okur (27) | Mehmet Okur (14) | Chauncey Billups (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills18,473 | 26–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 40 | January 16 | Washington | | Richard Hamilton (17) | Mehmet Okur (9) | Chauncey Billups (10) | The Palace of Auburn Hills20,539 | 27–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 41 | January 17 | @ Milwaukee | | Chauncey Billups (26) | Ben Wallace (11) | Chaucney Billups (6) | Bradley Center18,717 | 28–13 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | January 19 | San Antonio | | Chauncey Billups (18) | Ben Wallace (16) | Richard Hamilton (6) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 29–13 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 43 | January 20 | @ Indiana | | Richard Hamilton (15) | Ben Wallace (10) | Chucky Atkins (4) | Conseco Fieldhouse15,848 | 29–14 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 44 | January 23 | @ Minnesota | | Mehmet Okur (21) | B. Wallace, Hamilton (10) | Chucky Atkins (5) | Target Center19,006 | 29–15 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 45 | January 25 | Atlanta | | Ben Wallace (14) | Ben Wallace (15) | Ben Wallace (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 29–16 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 46 | January 28 | @ Boston | | Billups, Okur (21) | Ben Wallace (15) | B. Wallace, Atkins (4) | FleetCenter14,042 | 30–16 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 47 | January 30 | @ Toronto | | Richard Hamilton (28) | Ben Wallace (18) | Chauncey Billups (4) | Air Canada Centre19,555 | 31–16 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | January 31 | Memphis | | Richard Hamilton (20) | Ben Wallace (13) | Chauncey Billups (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 32–16

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 49 | February 2 | @ Miami | | Tayshaun Prince (24) | Ben Wallace (12) | Richard Hamilton (7) | American Airlines Arena15,438 | 33–16 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 50 | February 3 | Cleveland | | Chauncey Billups (19) | Ben Wallace (17) | Chauncey Billups (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 33–17 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 51 | February 6 | @ New Orleans | | Ben Wallace (14) | Ben Wallace (13) | Richard Hamilton (5) | New Orleans Arena14,016 | 33–18 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 52 | February 7 | @ Dallas | | Chauncey Billups (17) | Ben Wallace (8) | Richard Hamilton (6) | American Airlines Center20,357 | 33–19 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 53 | February 10 | @ New Jersey | | Chauncey Billups (23) | Ben Wallace (12) | Chauncey Billups (5) | Continental Airlines Arena13,781 | 33–20 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 54 | February 11 | Sacramento | | Richard Hamilton (27) | Ben Wallace (19) | Chauncey Billups (7) | The Palace of Auburn Hills22,076 | 33–21 |- align="center"