Fred Zollner

Entrepreneur

Birthday January 22, 1901

Birth Sign Aquarius

Birthplace Little Falls, MN

DEATH DATE Jun 21, 1982 (81)

#275,701 Most Popular

About

"Mr. Pro Basketball" who founded the Detroit Pistons basketball team, which was named after his automobile piston manufacturing company.

Before Fame

His assembled squad the Fort Wayne Pistons was originally founded to play in the industrial league, but upon finding they were able to beat every other team, they entered the NBA.

Trivia

He personally recruited future Hall-of-Fame players like Bob McDermott and Andy Phillip to his team. On occasion, he used his charter plane to fly in other NBA teams whom they were playing against.

Family Life

He and his sister were born in Little Falls, Minnesota. She would go on to help him form the Pistons.

Associated With

His dual interests in business and basketball were reflected in Mark Cuban's 2000 purchase of the majority of the Dallas Mavericks.