Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Detroit Pistons won the 2004 NBA Finals by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 on the 6th of June 2004. The final score was 100 to 87, marking the first time the Pistons scored triple digits during the series.
General manager Joe Dumars acquired Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Mike James through trades between 2000 and 2004. These moves replaced established stars like Lindsey Hunter and Chucky Atkins to create a defense-first squad that finished with a 54-28 record.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were the only two players from the Los Angeles Lakers to score more than 16 points in Game 1. All other Lakers players combined for just 16 points while the Pistons won 87 to 75.
Phil Jackson abruptly resigned immediately following the series loss and published a book titled The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. In this publication he criticized Kobe Bryant as uncoachable before eventually reconciling with him.
William Davidson became the first owner in American sports history to win two championships in one calendar year when his Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames eight days earlier for the Stanley Cup. This achievement occurred alongside the Detroit Pistons winning their fifth overall franchise championship.