There are few bigger upsets in recent NBA Finals history than that of the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Despite being huge underdogs, the Pistons were still able to defeat a powerhouse side in the Los Angeles Lakers en route to their third title in franchise history.

Recently, five-time All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups, who happened to be the Finals MVP of that memorable series, opened up about how he believes the Lakers should have dominated them some 16 years ago:

“If you look at the names on the back of the jerseys, yeah, they should have swept us,” he said on ESPN's Hoop Streams, via Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report“They really should have.”

For those who may have forgotten, that particular Lakers squad did not only have Shaqullie O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in their prime, but also Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Malone and Payton were past their prime, sure, but they were still

Nonetheless, Billups knew that the Pistons' style made up for the lack of name recognition:

“Styles make fights, and our style against theirs was superior even in the regular season when we played them,” explained Billups.

“I was happy because I felt like there was no way the Lakers could beat us,” he said.

There nearly was a sweep in the series, but it was the Pistons that came away with the championship in a five-game destruction of the mighty Lakers. Billups took home Finals MVP honors thanks to his 21.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game.

For the record, that was also the last season Shaq played for the Lakers. The famed big man made his way to the Miami Heat soon after the Lakers fell to Detroit. It could be said that the Pistons' upset of 2004 effectively ended the Shaq-Kobe era in Hollywood.