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Goodfellas
06-30-2009, 03:17 PM
DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/pistons) fired coach Michael Curry (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/players/915) on Tuesday as the team started rebuilding from an unpopular trade, a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs that ended its six-year streak of making it to the conference finals.

The Pistons went 39-43 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/cavaliers). Joe Dumars, the team's president for basketball operations, said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind about the fate of his former Pistons teammate.

"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the timetable for naming a new coach was up in the air.

"Obviously with the free agency period starting tomorrow (Wednesday), we don't know quite the speed of it," Grigg said.
Another ex-Pistons player and former Dumars teammate, Bill Laimbeer, stepped down in June as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, saying he wanted a shot at coaching in the NBA. Laimbeer did not immediately respond to an e-mail message seeking comment.