DETROIT
Jewish _fans celebrate Piston's NBA triumph.
HARRY KIRSBAUM and
KERI GUTEN COHEN
Jewish News Staff'
S
teve Mavrogiorgis, manager of
the Gallery Restaurant in
Bloomfield Hills, wasn't surprised
that the power breakfast crowd was run-
ning a bit late Wednesday morning.
After all, the Detroit Pistons had just
dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers 100-
87 in Game Five to win the NBA
Championship Series.
Don Albaum of Birmingham relished
the win while waiting in a corner booth
for friends. .
"The Lakers had never come across a
defense like Detroit," he said: "Much
more balanced, much better bench,
much stronger. When you play the kind
of defense like. Detroit plays, it's con-
stant pressure, and the Lakers were not
used to that.
Gary Ran of Bloomfield Hills sat over
a cup of coffee and the morning news-
paper.
"I thought at the start of the playoffs
we had a pretty good chance. The
Pistons surprised a lot of people," he
said. But thinking in terms of dynasty is
"pretty tough to accomplish. Players
move around so frequently, let's see if
the Pistons are able to maintain in this
roster."
Howard Stone of West Bloomfield
said defense was key..
.
"Defense wins ball games, but I just
didn't think that we would win this
series," said Stone, former athletic direc-
tor of Oak Park Schools. "They played
as a team, and. I guess it shows that a
team can beat two superstars."
Mental Attitude
Elsewhere, Brian Bloch of Birmingham
said the Laker's overconfidence gave the
Pistons "a leg up."
"The Pistons got all geared up to
attack a superior enemy and the Lakers
have been paying more attention to
their publicists than their trainers."
Jeffrey Levin, executive director of the
Jewish Federation of Washtenaw
County, was delighted with the win.
"I figured they were going to win the
whole thing, but it was more of an act
of faith more than any thoroughly
researched opinion."
Allan Gale, associate director of the
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit, said Pistons
owner Bill Davidson came to mind sev-
eral times on game day.
"I was in the Federation conference
suite where his name is honored for his
contributions to the Jewish communi-
ty," Gale said. "And now this Jewish phi-
lanthropist also brings glory to the entire
city.
Noah Trobe, 13, of Ann Arbor
enjoyed his first Pistons championship
experience.
"I definitely knew the Pistons were
going to win when they got Rasheed
Wallace — he was the key," he said.
At the Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield, Pistons fans interrupt-
ed their morning workouts in the health
Pistons Head Coach Larry Brown
club to talk about their hometown team.
• Irving Radin of Oak Park was on the
treadmill wearing a Pistons Eastern
Conference champs shirt. He pulled his
headphones off without missing stride
to say, "They were just fantastic. Their
win gives Detroit and Michigan a big
boost as the leading sports state."
Morry Opperer of West Bloomfield
and David Gumenick of Farmington
Hills were side by side on treadmills.
"When they won, I felt great, excited
Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson hands the championship trophy to Pistons cen-
ter Ben Wallace after the Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on June 15 to clinch
the NBA Finals four games to one.
DETROIT BASKETBALL on page 18
6/18
2004
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