<P> Beginning with the 1978--79 season, the Pistons played their home games in suburban Oakland County (directly north of Detroit / Wayne County), first playing ten seasons at the Pontiac Silverdome, and then began play at The Palace of Auburn Hills starting in the 1988--89 season . From 1999, when the Lakers relocated from The Forum in suburban Inglewood to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, until the end of the 2016--17 season, the Pistons remained the only NBA franchise to play in a suburban location, ending a 39 - year stay in Oakland County . </P> <P> Pistons owner Tom Gores, Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellum, and Olympia Entertainment (the Ilitch family's holding company that controls the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers) had been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with the Pistons possibly relocating to the new Little Caesars Arena as soon as the 2017--18 season . Talks intensified just as the Pistons were set to open their 2016--17 season, and as part of the terms of the agreement, there was discussion of a possible merger between Olympia and PS&E . Also contingent on a finalized agreement, the Pistons were looking for a parcel of land in the arena's vicinity, to build a new practice facility and team headquarters . The leasing agreement / partnership needed both city and league approval to be finalized . </P> <P> On November 22, 2016, the Pistons announced their intention to move to Little Caesars Arena, and the site of the Palace of Auburn Hills would be redeveloped and sold, with the arena likely to be demolished as part of the redevelopment . </P> <P> On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena . On August 3, 2017, it was announced that the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official . The move made Detroit the only U.S. city to have its Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), NBA, and NHL teams play in its downtown district, and one of only two U.S. cities to have said teams play within the city limits, the other being Philadelphia . </P>

Where did the detroit pistons play before little caesars arena