Sean Elliott – Pistons Highlights vs. Magic (19 Points)

Sean Elliott – Pistons Highlights vs. Magic (19 Points)

November 17, 1993 – An all-star as a member of the David Robinson-led San Antonio Spurs, Sean Elliott was traded to the Detroit Pistons just prior to start of the 1993-94 season in a blockbuster deal that sent maligned defensive superstar Dennis Rodman to San Antonio. In Elliott, Pistons fans broadly presumed they were receiving an up-and-coming athletic wing capable of 20-points-per-game potential. However, there was an unsettling truth developing behind the scenes: Elliott was suffering from kidney disease.

“Detroit knew I had a kidney condition before they got me,” Elliott told SLAM’s Alan Paul, “but they just wanted to get rid of Dennis Rodman. The Spurs didn’t know if I was going to be able to play more than another year or two, so this was a chance for them to get something in return.”

Elliott struggled to acclimate to a Pistons roster spotlighted by soon-to-be retirees (Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer) and rookies (Allan Houston and Lindsey Hunter), with the likes of Joe Dumars, Olden Polynice, and Terry Mills filling in the gaps. Elliott’s numbers and efficiency dropped across the board, prompting the Pistons to attempt to send Elliott to Houston midseason in exchange for Robert Horry. Alas, the trade was ultimately rescinded on account of Elliott’s kidney issues.

“The Pistons had told Houston I had something going on,” Elliott said. “But when they tested me out, all the doctors had different opinions and everyone was in limbo. They sent me back to Detroit, which eventually sent me back to San Antonio.”

Sure enough, following a disastrous season in which the Pistons finished 20-62, Elliott was traded back to San Antonio in exchange for Bill Curley and a future second round draft pick. There, Elliott returned to form, averaging a career-high 20 points per game in 1996, making his second all-star appearance.

As for his kidney trouble, Elliott’s condition worsened toward the end of the ’90s, resulting in his brother, Noel, donating a kidney following the Spurs’ 1999 championship run, in which Elliott hit one of the biggest shots in Spurs history (dubbed the Memorial Day Miracle) en route to earning the franchise’s first ever championship ring.

The game above stems from early in Elliott’s abridged Pistons career. Against the Magic, he finished with 19 points (8-of-15 shooting) and 7 assists in a 98-92 Pistons win.

Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199311170DET.html

Source for SLAM interview: https://pistonpowered.com/2011/01/06/looking-back-sean-elliot-for-dennis-rodman-doesnt-get-nearly-enough-credit-for-being-one-of-the-worst-trades-the-detroit-pistons-ever-made/