Drafted 27th overall in 1986 out of Southeastern Oklahoma State — a school whose existence was a rumor before Worm went there. Seven seasons in Detroit before going to San Antonio and then Chicago.
The Pistons asked him to defend, rebound, and run. He did all three with the kind of motor that made teammates uncomfortable in practice. NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991 — back-to-back.
He left Detroit for Texas in 1993 and changed shape (literally — hair, piercings, headlines) but stayed the same player. The Pistons years were the foundation. The personality came later.