Watch the former Palace of Auburn Hills get demolished

Watch video of one of the most iconic sports venues in history — The Palace of Auburn Hills– being reduced to rubble.

The Palace of Auburn Hills is still one of the most historic sporting venues in the Midwest, but it now lies without a tenant after all of their former occupants bolted for more modern arenas. Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, who also owns the arena outright, has finally decided to demolish the legendary venue once and for all.

While demolition on the facility began in March, WXYZ in Detroit confirmed that the building will be imploded on Saturday, marking the end of a three-decade run as Detroit’s premier sporting venue.

The Detroit Pistons made history in The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons moved into the Palace, one the league’s first privately financed arenas, before the 1988-89 season, the same year the “Bad Boy” Pistons led Detroit to the franchises’ first championship. At the time, it was considered one of the most modern and luxurious arenas in the sport.

That first title in ’89 proved to be one of three that the Pistons would win during their stay at the Palace. When Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Chuck Daly, and the Pistons were at their peak, the Palace was one of the greatest home-court advantages in the league.

Detroit’s WNBA team also brought home some hardware, as the Shock won three titles in 11 years before moving to Tulsa. The address of the arena is “6 Championship Drive”, alluding to the number of titles the city’s basketball teams have won. The Palace has also played host to a number of hockey, football, and soccer teams, as the International Hockey League’s Detroit Vipers, Arena Football League’s Detroit Fury, and National Professional Soccer League’s Detroit Rockers all called the Palace home.

The Pistons, along with the Detroit Red Wings, might have moved into Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit, but the atmosphere there pales in comparison to when the Pistons were dominant in the late 80s and early 2000s. With the demolition of The Palace, the state of Michigan is losing one of its greatest sporting institutions.