Growing Up With the Pistons: 2023
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen"-Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
The 2010s were a decade, where nothing monumental happened for the Detroit Pistons. A team that dominated the Eastern Conference throughout the 2000s soon became the face of apathy amongst general Detroit sports fans throughout the 2010s.
A new arena was constructed, followed by a couple unceremonious playoff appearances, and complemented by draft blunders that still contribute to some fans’ therapy bills. A franchise so painfully mediocre and unremarkable it only knew how to operate within NBA purgatory.
Which begged the question, how far can a can be kicked down a road before you reach a dead-end?
2023 was the answer to that hypothetical question, and in the three years that followed decades happened. As this story is being released, you know the Pistons as the best team in the Eastern Conference, and you may even know me from my photography throughout the years.
What brought them to this current moment is the most unthinkable journey in sports, that had some of the lowest lows a professional sports team can reach. It feels like it was scripted.
This is a story about realizing you’ve hit rock bottom and how you climb out of it.
This is the story of the most remarkable turnaround in NBA history, through my eyes.
PROLOGUE
We begin this story in 2023, and you meet me at age 20. I was in my sophomore year at Michigan State University, adjusting to living truly on my own for the first time.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of my college experience up to this point, it was a struggle. Graduating high-school as the pandemic struck (yes, I am one of those 2020 seniors), made the transition to college quite shaky for me and many around me.
At this point in my life, I found my best sense of purpose and community around basketball. No matter what was going on in my life, I felt my best talking about or being around the sport.
My friend, Mike Philly, had been given full-season credentials in 2022 for the Motor City Cruise (the Pistons G-League affiliate). In a gap semester, I found my way to the Wayne State Fieldhouse with him as his camera guy. From then on, I knew it was something I needed to pursue. Quickly, driving down from East Lansing to Detroit became a regular occurrence for me, as I was covering the Cruise on a full-time basis at this point. What started on behalf of his outlet, TheCo1/1ection, became on behalf of my own (BULLYBALL).
I had nothing to do with the Pistons on an official basis for much of the first half of this year, despite quietly hoping one day that credential would land in my Gmail inbox.
Until April 11th, 2023, where Mike forwards a credential for Head Coach, Dwane Casey and GM, Troy Weaver’s exit interviews. I’d be attending on behalf of The Co1/1ection.
APRIL 11TH 2023
April 11th, 2023 marked my first press conference covering the Detroit Pistons. I had not covered the team up until that point on an official basis, but was working with TheCo1/1ection which happened to be on the media list.
I had covered their G-League affiliate from its inaugural season, with the hopes of getting my own call-up one day.
Dwane Casey, Pistons Head Coach of five seasons, held his final end-of-season press conference. Dwane announced he would be transitioning from coaching to taking a role in the Pistons front office, opening the Pistons Head Coaching position for the first time since 2018.
Casey was asked about the process of developing players. “Going through a restore and a rebuild, you might as well put them in the deep end and let them swim. I think that’s what we did. That could be questionable a little bit, but we thought that was the right thing to do. I know it’s going to pay off down the road.”
Troy Weaver, GM of the Pistons, gives his thanks to Casey for his commitment to the franchise. Casey was hired to be leading a veteran team with Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond for years to come. He spent the majority of his tenure guiding the blueprint of a team through the beginning of a rebuild.
Weaver quickly transitions to addressing the letter he wrote to season ticket holders. It was a disastrous season for Detroit, their young franchise player had to miss his sophomore season to address a fracture in his shin.
Rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren only got to play 11 games with the 2021 first overall selection. 2023 was supposed to be a year of growth and competitiveness.
Despite a Victor Wembanyama led draft class, Detroit’s plans that season were not to tank. Even though they achieved the NBA’s worst record that season (17-65), this was not a team trying to lose.
JUNE 13TH, 2023
“We did not have the best record in the league, actually the worst. And teams with the best records in the league were after this guy, and he wanted to partner with us.”
Months had gone by without any word on who would be leading the Pistons into this next era. With the draft quickly approaching, not having a head coach was seeming more and more puzzling.
Names like Charles Lee, Kevin Ollie, and Jarron Collins were floated around as potential candidates. Ollie seemed to be the favorite of Weaver’s, as Lee seemed to have more appeal amongst the rest of the front office. No decision was made.
Until May 13th, 2023 where the Phoenix Suns fired Monty Williams. Much like Casey, he was a former Coach of the Year burnt by a team that was desperate for any change in the hopes of championship contention.
Williams was heralded as an offensive-minded coach, who brought the Suns from the dirt to the Finals in 2021. On paper, a home run hire.
Williams wasn’t interested though, he wanted a break from coaching.
His tune changed when Gores and Weaver took a second meeting with him, flying out to his residence. After this meeting, Williams was given the largest contract any Head Coach in the NBA had received at that time.
Thus, June 13th, 2023, the Pistons welcomed the media to Detroit for Monty Williams’ introductory presser.
A sea of national and local media flooded the Pistons Performance Center, and as a result I didn’t have a proper seat.
Upon accepting the Media RSVP, I knew my chances of asking a question were slim to none. So, I armed myself with my mom’s old camera that I still didn’t fully understand, and decided my coverage would be B-roll and stills.
I positioned myself off to the side of the stage, sitting on the carpet that covered the practice hardwood court beneath it. Upon getting settled, the seats to my right were filled with almost the entirety of the Pistons roster.
This was not something ordinary, two months into the off-season having your roster sit in unison awaiting their new coach signaled a sign of culture the Pistons were so desperate to create.
The players throughout the presser, much like most guys in their teens and early 20s, would occasionally go on their phones, whisper to each other, and look around. Their attention was elsewhere, until one moment.
Monty was asked about why he ultimately took the job and said the following, “The quick answer is obviously Troy, the players and the money.”
Every single head in the Pistons player section snapped up and towards the podium collectively. For the rest of that answer, every single Piston was fully attentive towards what Monty had to say.
I recall taking note of that, it seemed important. I didn’t realize how symbolic it would be until later, though.
I wrote on my notes that afternoon, “When Monty said the comment about the money he’s making, all the players' heads snapped towards the podium in record speed.”
JUNE 22ND, 2023
“When you see something different, something elite, you know it. I think Halle Berry is pretty in church or in the grocery store,” Troy Weaver, June 22nd 2023.
Inside the Pistons Performance Center’s actual press conference room sat local media. Monitors surrounded the room of media who helped themselves to a Detroit favorite , Supinos Pizza (if you know, you know) courtesy of the Pistons PR staff.
Watching the NBA draft, where the Detroit Pistons were set to select 5th overall for the second year in a row. There was no Victor Wembanyama coming to the 313 and that stink permeated through much of the fanbase at this time.
Yet, the Pistons and Troy Weaver felt highly encouraged about who they selected 5th overall. Ausar Thompson was the greatest consolation prize imaginable.
“Three guys who can facilitate and create; kinda like Shai Giddey and JDub (Jalen Williams),” Ausar Thompson on how he fits with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
Then came a lot of commotion in the PPC, staff moving frantically towards the midway point of the Draft. I wasn’t certain, but my attention quickly pivoted towards the Pistons trading back into the first round. It was something Weaver had done in every draft outside of 2021.
My suspicions were confirmed when the Pistons traded the 31st overall selection and two future second round picks to Boston to select Marcus Sasser.
With that, the Pistons draft had concluded, and an introductory presser was set for the next day.
JUNE 23RD, 2023
Once again, the Pistons welcomed the media to the Pistons Performance Center court for an introductory press conference.
Once again, I positioned myself in a spot for B-Roll and photos, almost not wanting to be seen. I felt like such an impostor in a highly professional space. After all, I was just 20 years old now entering my junior year of college. It didn’t help that I was there on behalf of an outlet that was not my own.
Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser walked onto the podium I positioned myself to the side of , this time without the Pistons roster next to me.
Weaver raved about Thompson and Sasser, and Monty had many comments about the quality of their character.
The press conference ends, and the players disperse for photo-ops and one-on-one interviews. I found my way to Ausar Thompson in a brief moment of comfort with his family.
His twin brother Amen, who had gone 4th overall to the Houston Rockets the night prior, was teasing his brother for his jersey number selection. Ausar explained how all the good numbers he wanted were gone or retired, listing all the jerseys and names that hung above us.
Oddly, there was a sense of comfort I felt knowing there was another 20-year-old in the building who was as big of an NBA-nerd as I. Thompson is an alien athletically, but a computer with his knowledge of the game.
OCTOBER 15TH, 2023
Following a handful of pleasantly surprising conversations, I was set to cover the Pistons on an official basis for my outlet, BULLYBALL.
At the beginning of 2023, BULLYBALL as a concept was mostly an outlet for video edits and light-hearted Twitter activity.
Upon realizing we were transitioning into more dedicated Pistons coverage, the decision was made to create a proper website before the season.
Then comes open practice, held at Little Caesars Arena, and I am able to attend my first event as media in the arena. I brought my camera with me onto the court, quickly to realize I had committed the cardinal sin of any professional with a camera. I had forgotten my SD-card.
Pivoting and panicking in the same breath, I decided my only course of action was to take photos of the photos I was taking with my iPhone.
It worked for the time being, and I made due (despite spending the rest of the evening kicking myself over it).
OCTOBER 28, 2023
BULLS(1-2) VS. PISTONS(2-1)
Here we go.
My first Pistons game covering the team. I had no clue what I was walking into, or even what I was supposed to be walking towards in the arena.
Until, like a beacon of light at the end of a dark tunnel, the Pistons media dining room called to me. As a broke college student, the free gourmet buffet at your disposal in this room was almost better than getting paid to cover these games. That very well may have been my first meal that day.
Walking out to the court, I found my place next to the only familiar face I saw sitting courtside, James Edwards III. James, a beat writer covering the Pistons for TheAthletic since 2018, was almost immediately greeted by a familiar 7 footer giving him a hug. It was, of course, Andre Drummond.
The irony of Andre Drummond (backup center for the Bulls at this time) being the first player to come out was not lost on me. Drummond was the face of the Pistons for almost the entirety of my childhood, him almost immediately being the first greeting I had felt like a sign.
By the time the buzzer had sounded, I found myself amongst the upper 100s of Little Caesars Arena. Finding my spot crammed into the auxiliary section somewhat near camera-men, who were shooting on professional broadcast equipment. I, with a decade old 70-200mm lens, had no clue what the hell I was doing up there but convinced myself I could handle this unique challenge.
As for the Pistons, they found themselves in a great spot to start the season. Starting off 1-1, there was a sense of optimism the team could begin finally playing competitive basketball this year. Franchise player, Cade Cunningham, coming off a season-long absence the year prior, hadn’t missed a step. Jalen Duren, sophomore big-man, was having just as good of a start as anyone could have hoped for.
Things were clicking.
That was very much the story of this game as well. Little Caesars Arena was full of energy, and so were the Pistons. Despite a fifty-one point explosion from Zach Lavine, the Pistons handily defeated the Bulls 118-101.
“There’s going to be some ups and there’s going to be some downs. But staying level-headed, we’re three games in. I feel like we’re moving in the right direction, we got the right energy around the team. Understanding how the league works, it’s 82 games you’re going to have some bad stretches and you’re going to have some good stretches. All about staying level-headed,” Jalen Duren how they manage expectations.
“It was pretty loud tonight, this was probably one of the best atmospheres we’ve had. I feel like it’s only gonna keep growing. The fans and the city believe in what we’re building. It’s a blessing to have this kind of city behind us.”
For the next twelve months, this was the last time there was a tangible sense of confidence or comfort in Little Caesars Arena surrounding the Detroit Pistons.
NOVEMBER 5TH, 2023
SUNS (3-4) VS PISTONS (2-5)
In the years that I exclusively covered the Motor City Cruise in the NBA G-League, I had gotten to have first hand experiences and relationships with players in a way that was simply unachievable beforehand.
To my benefit, I grew up with an uncle in the NFL, so being intimidated or in awe of professional athletes was something I didn’t really deal with.
All this to say, having the opportunity to photograph Kevin Durant in my second NBA game was awe-inspiring for me.
Since the last game I covered, the Pistons had lost three straight games. This was nothing unusual for the Pistons in the early 2020s, and they still had the safeguard of being a young team figuring out how to win.
Not many expected the now struggling Pistons to take down the Kevin Durant-led Suns but without Bradley Beal and Devin Booker active there was reason to believe it would at least be competitive.
It was not close, the Pistons lost 120-102 to a team who gave significant minutes to five different players no longer in the NBA as of the publication of this piece.
“Not waiting til we get down, to fight back. We gotta come out and play our basketball from jump ball. When we play our basketball, you guys see that the game is very different,” Isaiah Stewart on late comeback efforts.
The Pistons were also dealing with injury issues to begin the season to their key veterans, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. Still, there was no excuse about depth tonight.
Nevertheless, the Pistons and their fans figured they found themselves amidst a typical young-team skid. Five losses in a row would surely be a wake-up call.
DECEMBER 2ND, 2023
DETROIT PISTONS (2-18) VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (11-9)
The wheels have begun to fall off by now. What started as a five game skid became a sixteen game losing streak.
I walked into my third NBA game as media not aware of how unusual what I was experiencing was. As I (ever so slowly) felt a better sense of understanding photography, I thought I’d find more success with players seeking out my work. Isaiah Stewart had reached out to me after the home opener and posted my photos following the win.
At this point, as of December 2nd, every player had to go on some form of a hiatus on social media. No one wanted to post like normal amidst the most abnormal stretch of NBA basketball anyone had witnessed.
Can you blame them?
This game was certain to be a challenge, as the Cleveland Cavaliers came into town. Ironically, they were led by head coach, JB Bickerstaff.
Detroit was adding some depth to this game with the return of Bojan Bogdanovic from injury, hopefully being the bit of leverage they needed to finally get over the hump.
Unfortunately, Bojan was not enough. This young Pistons team lost a competitive game in the 4th quarter much like most other games during the losing streak. They could not close games for the life of them, which signaled a lack of leadership and confidence stemming from their head coach (more on that later).
This marked the 17th loss in a row for the Detroit Pistons.
“It’s hard to find good words, hard to say something positive…At this point it’s just hard,” Bojan on any positive takeaways.
DECEMBER 21ST, 2023
DETROIT PISTONS(2-26) VS UTAH JAZZ(11-18)
Throughout this chapter, the most diehard Pistons fans may or may not have remembered many of the games leading up to this point. But if you’re here, you know what this game was.
Infamy.
Before getting to the basketball element of this historic day, something that I’d also never forget preceded it.
When figuring out how I was going to approach covering the season, I knew BULLYBALL wasn’t yet considered “tier I” media. We were in our infancy at this time, and our experience in the G-League carried us to this point. Part of our growing identity was finding the stories that fall through the cracks and giving spotlight to them.
In the Pistons media dining room sat a little boy and his mom with Pistons legend Earl Cureton, all of whom I would soon be introduced to. The Pistons brought Ezekiel and his mom to their first Pistons game. Spending the pregame process with them, I learned so much about their relationship. Ezekiel and his mom, Margaret, had come from unthinkable circumstances escaping domestic abuse to surviving homelessness. Yet, in being around them, you’d never even guess all they have to persevere through on a day-to-day basis.
To this day, I find myself in awe of Ezekiel’s spirit. How a child can endure and still smile at every given opportunity. Theirs isn’t a story about sports, but spending any time around sports teaches you so much about life. I’d never forget seeing the joy being at a basketball game brought to those two.
It’s easy to lose perspective of what matters in the day-to-day. Even while fans of the team in attendance saw this game (rightfully) as a dumpster fire, these two had their best day of 2023 at the same game. If you’d like to know their full story, you can find it here.
Still, a basketball game had to be played. Everyone in the building knew what was at stake on this night. The Pistons were on the verge of losing 25 games in a row, in one season. That would be the second longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.
In the way that many watch car-crash compilations on social-media, something about the absurdity of this losing streak brought the fans back to Little Caesars Arena. This game’s crowd was packed to the brim, it felt like everyone across the world of sport had some level of awareness about the losing happening in Detroit.
Several fans dawned the sight no sports fan ever wants to see, paper bag masks, signaling rock bottom. The only other time in recent memory, at least in my lifetime, I could recall seeing paper-bags at a Detroit Sports game was the 0-16 Detroit Lions. This felt dire.
It was yet another competitive Pistons game that completely got away from them in the 4th. As reality began to sink-in on the hardwood court, the “Sell the team,” chants broke out amongst the stands of Little Caesars Arena.
The final buzzer sounds, and I make my way to the press-conference room as per usual. Monty Williams takes the stand first, acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the situation.
Then we are told Cade Cunningham will address the media next. The door opens, and what isn’t caught on camera is how red Cunningham’s eyes are walking up to the podium. I had never seen an athlete at such a low point.
There was a tangible level of sadness and defeat that radiated throughout the room, it felt like a funeral. Maybe a funeral for what used to be. The Pistons could not run from narratives any longer, they’ve met their dead-end.
“I’m kinda sick right now, I am sick right now..We’re not 2-26 bad. No way are we that bad. So yes, I do think we can turn it around. I think we can play a lot better brand of basketball than what we’re playing right now,” Cade Cunningham (12/21/2023).
This was the last Pistons game I covered in 2023, which turned out to be the lowest point in Pistons history.
