The NBA has long been defined by offensive superstars: Magic vs. Bird in the 80s, MJ in the 90s, Kobe and Shaq in the early 2000s, LeBron and Steph after that.

The 2004 "Goin' to Work" Pistons were built differently. Their only Hall of Famer averaged fewer than 6 points a game for his career. They finished 24th in the league in scoring, winning instead with suffocating defense and a grinding, deliberate offense.

Joe Dumars built the roster out of castoffs and role players. Even after whiffing on the second overall pick in the loaded 2003 draft, his teams reached six straight Eastern Conference Finals. Larry Brown molded them in the image of their city: unselfish, hard-working, and tougher than everyone else.

It all came together in the 2004 Finals, where they faced a Lakers superteam with four future Hall of Famers led by Shaq and Kobe. Almost no one gave Detroit a chance, but the Pistons won in dominating fashion.

This is the story of one of the unlikeliest champions in NBA history, and the end of an era. Within a few years, new rules and the analytics revolution would transform the game into the pace-and-space league we know today. So were the Pistons smart to do things differently, or just the right team for a particular moment in time? Join us as we find out.

Our favorite links

• Ben Wallace Went Undrafted and Forged a Hall of Fame Career – Ryne Nelson, SLAM

• What Makes Larry Run? – Neal Gabler, Grantland

• Joe Dumars Interviewed After Winning No. 2 Pick in 2003 NBA Draft – Ryan Van Dusen, YouTube

• In their own words: How the legendary 2003 NBA draft shaped basketball's future – Brian Windhorst, ESPN

• 2003 Redraftables: Lebron Arrives, Darko vs. Melo, Wade The Sleeper + the First “Modern” NBA Draft with Chad Ford – Book of Basketball 2.0 (Bill Simmons), Podcast

• Tayshaun Prince Blocks Reggie Miller | 17th Anniversary – Detroit Pistons, YouTube

• Experts thought the Lakers would crush the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Not quite… – Alex Putterman, Freezing Cold Takes

• The Malice at the Palace (Oral History) – Jonathan Abrams, Grantland

• DARKO App for NBA Stats

Credits

• Theme music by Paul Hinkes

• Graphic design and logo by Kai Takahashi

Connect with Winners

• X - ⁠@WinnersShowPod⁠
• Bluesky - ⁠@winnersshowpod.bsky.social⁠
• Email - ⁠winnersshowpod@gmail.com

The Chicago Cubs are one of the most iconic franchises in professional sports. Nothing compares to the ivy walls, the bleacher seats, and the day games at Wrigley Field. And yet, in the early 2010s, the Cubs were best known for their failures.

Longtime sports and politics writer Charles P. Pierce called the Cubs title drought the last great American sports story. It had been more than 100 years since their last championship. They hadn't even played in the World Series since 1945, a series that birthed the famed Curse of the Billy Goat.

So how does a team go about ending a century-long losing streak? By hiring Theo Epstein, the only living executive to overcome a curse of this magnitude, and letting him tear the whole thing down.

This is the story of 108 years of heartbreak, superstition, and mismanagement coming to an end. Join us as we explore how Theo Epstein, Joe Maddon, and an unforgettable roster transformed the Cubs from lovable losers into World Series champions, and what their journey reveals about building a winner.

Our favorite links

• The Cubs Way – Tom Verducci, Book

• How Theo Worked his Magic – Bradford Doolittle and Luke Knox, ESPN

• The Mastermind – Wright Thompson, ESPN The Magazine

• The 100 Most Influential People (2017) – John Cusack, TIME

• Everybody Wants Their Own Theo Epstein – Michael Baumann, The Ringer

• The Chicago Cubs Are Flexible Beasts – Rany Jazayerli, The Ringer

• Valuing Relievers: Correction or Bubble? – Dave Cameron, FanGraphs

Credits

• Theme music by Paul Hinkes

• Graphic design and logo by Kai Takahashi

Connect with Winners

• X - @WinnersShowPod
• Bluesky - @winnersshowpod.bsky.social
• Email - winnersshowpod@gmail.com

Winners tells the stories of championship sports teams through the decisions, strategies, performances, and lucky bounces required to win it all.

Every episode is a deep dive into a single champion, exploring the people involved, the make-or-break moments, and the lessons we can learn from the most successful teams across sports.