Detroiters who are Detroit Pistons fans will no longer have to drive 35 miles to watch their team win a game. Starting in October, the Detroit Pistons franchise will shoot hoops in the middle of Detroit, Midtown to be exact, at the new Little Caesars Arena.
After the ground was broken and the rafters were up, on the heels of that announcement, the Pistons franchise started spreading the hype to retain and attract new customers. Since the new arena is under construction, they created a Detroit Pistons Preview Center where guests can get a look-see-feel type of virtual tour and know what to expect once the stadium is open. The arena also will be home to the Detroit Red Wings who will play their first game in September.
The Michigan Chronicle invited its Men and Women of Excellence award winners to an exclusive sneak peek and tour. The tour was met with oohs and aaahs and hopes for a winning season, especially since many of the attendees planned to attend games because the arena is brand new and located in the heart of the city.
“This is fabulous,” said James Williamson, a former Men of Excellence (MOE) awardee and owner of JKW Insurance Agency. Williamson, 52, said he is contemplating buying tickets and added, “If this was the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys era, I would have bought tickets already.”
As the guests viewed the aerial view of the arena and the 3D diagram, complete with moving cars and traffic lights, Cass Tech, Masonic Temple and the corner store, the excitement kept rising.
“The Preview Center helps us paint a picture of everything that the District Detroit has to offer,” said Brad Lott, senior vice president, Consumer Sales. “Our fans leave excited and with great anticipation for the opening of Little Caesars Arena.”
The tour also consisted of a walk down a hall of fame with Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings logos, past and current, and a stop where one could sit and enjoy the new, plush seating the arena will have. Several guests noted their expanding waistlines and thought that the larger seats would be quite comfortable.
“The arena is breathtaking. I feel like I’m not in Detroit,” said Brian Wiggins, 40, former MOE awardee and a Taco Bell executive. “It’s amazing, phenomenal,” he added after viewing the 3D diagram and completing the tour.
Two Detroit Pistons stars made a stop, former center and power forward Earl “The Twirl” Cureton, who works as a Detroit Pistons ambassador, and former guard Lindsey Hunter.
“All of the main cities have an arena downtown and finally the Detroit Pistons have ventured downtown,” said Hunter. And when asked his thoughts about the new arena, he said, “This is phenomenal.”
In addition to the stadium, 686 new housing units will be built around the arena with the first being available toward the end of next year. Twenty percent, 139, will be made available for low-income residents.
Cureton, who also is a Detroit native, said he grew up watching former Detroit Pistons players Bob Lanier and Dave Bing, who both played in Detroit before the Pistons moved to Auburn Hills. “I’m very impressed with the new arena,” he said. “It’s a state-of-the-art trendsetter and I like that they are back downtown. People have been waiting for this a long time.”
Season tickets are selling quickly, according to the Detroit Pistons organization. More than 2,000 new season tickets have been sold with two-and-half months remaining before the start of the season. The Detroit Pistons rank No. 2 in the NBA in new season tickets sales. The majority of the suites have sold out for the year.
Now all Detroit Pistons have to do is take the rock to the hoop, score and win. And several MOEs had advice for the team, including Wiggins.
“The owner needs to grab a few more key players,” he said. “We have to give Detroit something. A championship or be a contender. Tell him {the coach} to call me. I will help.”
Hunter and Cureton both said the current team should embrace Detroit’s blue-collar philosophy.
“Detroit is a tough town built on hard work,” said Cureton. “We were a team and it wasn’t always star power but a collective effort. The Bad Boys set the example of what Detroit is all about.”
The Bad Boy era has ended, and the Detroit Pistons ended last season with a 37-45 record. But win or lose, they have their fan base.
Brian Day, 40, chief technology officer, Henry Ford Health Systems, and former MOE awardee, spoke like a true supporter when he said, “Whether they have a good season or not, I’m a fan.”
