Detroit Pistons 'Bad Boy" John Salley Says He Carried A Gun During Playing Days

Multiple NBA champion John Salley was always armed when he played with the Detroit Pistons

Retired NBA player John Salley was mostly known for the time he spent playing with the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s. 

So it comes as no surprise Salley was ready to protect himself at all times on and off the court. In a recent interview with Vlad TV, he detailed how he carried a gun with him everywhere when he played for the Pistons. 

"When I was in Detroit, I always had a gun," Salley said. "Even though I was with my brothers and we had security, I always carried my gun. I'm not saying I was right but I was ready."

Salley played with the Pistons from 1986-92, winning two championships. He later won titles while playing for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the first to win championships with three different teams. 

When he played for the Miami Heat from 1992-95, he also found a way to protect himself with guns. This was years before the NBA suspended current star Ja Morant for waving guns on social media. 

"When I got to Miami, my wife then got a concealed weapons license and she was like, 'I'll carry the pistol,"' Salley said. "So, for some people, we're Americans, we feel safer with guns. Whether people think it's right, this is the culture. People feel safer with guns. I felt safer carrying a gun at times than when I didn't."' 

Salley says he doesn't carry a gun nowadays in Los Angeles, where he resides, only because he couldn't get a permit. 

"But if I had a concealed weapons license, I would carry a pistol," Salley said. "It's better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in the war." 

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com