Detroit targeted by new summer league of ex-NBA players

[Laimbeer]

How about a 2004 team reunion? There's buzz that Sheed and Rip will play. Tay is trying to hang on in the NBA, I think. Not sure if Chauncey or Ben would be interested. Wonder what Mehmet, Lindsay, Mike James, and Corliss are up to. Or other former Pistons - Dice, Max, Bynum, Atkins, even Kwame!

Former Detroit Pistons player Mark Aguirre was tabbed last week as the president of basketball operations for a startup summer league that features former NBA players and intends to have a Detroit team by 2017.

Details about the Detroit club are to be released by the end of this year.

Aguirre, 56, was with the Pistons from 1989 to 1993 and won a pair of NBA titles in Detroit. Now, he's the top basketball recruiter and in charge of game logistics for the New York City-based Champions Basketball League, the new organization said in a statement. Aguirre also played for the Dallas Mavericks and L.A. Clippers, and was an assistant coach with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.

The new league says that in 2017 will play a July-August schedule with 16 teams — including a Detroit squad that has yet to be formed. Teams will play 14 games each and a championship game would be played in September in Las Vegas.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160811/NEWS/160819978/detroit-targeted-by-new-summer-league-of-ex-nba-players

[MotownMadness]

That would be awesome

[DBC10]

Wow, sort of like a game of Legends type deal that so many on reddit once wanted. There's always been some buzz for organizing strictly retired players and let them play during the All-star weekend for the fans, if they can get this organized fully, it'd be pretty cool.

Granted, it's going to be pretty lazy and slow due to players being out of shape but it'll still bring about nostalgia.

[Southern Piston]

I always wanted somebody to set this type of th I ng up, except be an outdoor league, but it would be way too hot. They could figure it out, play in parks, and beach courts, an outdoor court league running the 4th of July to labor day. An in between league between retired, d league, foreign, and free agents. Sounds fun to me, a short season might keep guys around longer. I could see Ray Allen signing with Clevlans at the trade deadline, retiring in June and jumping on another short season

[Pharaoh]

The biggest problem I think they'll have is $$$

Lots of start up costs involved. Who is funding this?

[RexRyan]

Make sure Mahorn's on the team - he can play both sides of the paint at once!