If there is a Mount Rushmore for NBA teams that feel like symbolic soulmates for their city, then the 2004 Detroit Pistons are on it.

This team represented the Motor City in every sense of the word. Everyone played a part, constantly being calibrated and re-calibrated toward something greater.

They embodied the qualities of a tough team that the fans living in a tough city needed: Nerves as hard as steel and a burning desire to defy expectations.

20 years ago, the Pistons stood at the brink of a bruising but ultimately dominant championship march over the Los Angeles Lakers, a team brimming with Hall of Famers. To this day, the Pistons’ 4-1 is considered one of the greatest upsets in NBA history.

It's tough to picture this special championship run happening anywhere but Detroit. From the underdogs who made up the starting lineup to their surprising victory over a more glamorous, well-known rival, Detroit seems like the only place where our unexpected heroes could have truly emerged.

Today we dive deep into the Miracle at Motown, the story of the 2004 Pistons. And THIS is Once Upon a Dribble.