The Pistons retired the number 4 jersey of former guard Joe Dumars on March 10, 2000 and was named the team’s President of Basketball Operations on June 6, 2000. Dumars was further honored for his 14 seasons in the league when Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik announced that the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award would be renamed the Joe Dumars Award. Dumars, who won the inaugural award in 1996, became the first player to have a postseason award named after him.

The Pistons finished 42-40, fourth in the Central Division, and made the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. In the playoffs though, they were eliminated in the first round by the Miami Heat three games to none. George Irvine took over head coaching duties 58 games into the season and guided the Pistons to a 14-10 mark in the last 24 games and losing only once to a non-playoff team.

Jerry Stackhouse played in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game for the first time, finished third in balloting for the Most Improved Player Award and averaged a career-best 23.6 points per game. His 618 free throws were the most by any NBA player. Grant Hill averaged a career-high 25.8 points with 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists en route to his fifth All-Star appearance. At 49.4 points per game, Hill and Stackhouse comprised the second-highest scoring tandem in the NBA. The Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant averaged 52.2 points.

Jerome Williams ranked 10th in the NBA in rebounding (9.6 rpg) despite playing the fewest minutes of any player ranked in the top-10. He had a team-best 23 double-doubles and improved his scoring and rebounding averages for the fourth consecutive year. Lindsey Hunter ranked third in the NBA in three-pointers made (168) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.432).