New Pistons fan here! Questions about international fans, Detroit culture, and this awesome forum

[BSD]

My name’s Chao, I come from China and I’m thrilled to join this community as a brand-new fan of the Detroit Pistons! What drew me in was the team’s legendary blue-collar spirit—the way they play with grit, heart, and that underdog resilience. As someone who loves teams that fight harder when the odds are against them, I just had to become part of Pistons Nation!

I do have a few questions (hope you don’t mind me asking!):

International fans? Are there many Pistons supporters outside the U.S. here? I’d love to connect with fellow fans worldwide and learn what the team means to you.

Detroit culture! As an outsider, I’m really curious—what makes Detroit and Pistons fandom unique? Any local traditions, foods, slang, or game-day rituals I should know about? I want to appreciate the city and team the right way!

Forum love! Lastly—if it’s okay to ask—how does this forum compare to places like r/DetroitPistons or detroitpistonsforum.com I’m new to all this and already love the vibe here, but I’d love to hear what makes this community special in your eyes.

Thanks so much for welcoming me—I’m here to learn, cheer, and honor that Pistons pride with all of you. For now… Go Pistons! ⚡

[mike06181]

Welcome aboard! I moved away from Detroit area 15 years ago so i will leave those questions to be answered by those still living there. Now is a great time to board the bandwagon. Nice gritty up and coming team of good guys who work hard. Yes they represent the city very well.

[MortSahlfan]

Welcome!

Music is the defining culture in Motown

Watch on YouTube

Smokey Robinson
Diana Ross
Four Tops
Detroit Spinners
Marvin Gaye
Stevie Wonder
etc...

[whitehops]

welcome chao! i've lived in toronto all my life so i guess i'm technically an international fan even though i probably live closer than most non-michigan US fans of the pistons. i know of detroit's blue-collar pride as a city only by reputation, but it's something that has really been emphasized with the team over the years (even the many bad ones) but this current team has their own "dawg pound" with stewart, duren, holland and ausar. for whatever they lack in skill they try to make up for with athleticism, strength and effort and it's fun to watch. adding JB as their coach last year who is famous for his gritty philosophy was a perfect addition.

again i'm not from detroit so i know of things like detroit-style pizza but i'll let michiganers answer that part because i definitely wouldn't do it justice.

i've really only navigated realGM for all my basketball foruming so can't comment on reddit or other ones, but i think we have a pretty good group here. it's not the largest if you compare to like the knicks or raptors but that's not a bad thing - we have consistent discussion and relatively low drama with discussions.

the media/beat writers i like to follow (mainly on twitter/youtube) are:
bryce simon/motor city hoops
omari sankofi II
pistons jack (from australia, might be worth reaching out to him as an international fan)
ku khalil
wes davenport

there's a bunch more but they all usually interact/collab with each other so you can add more to your follow list as you like.

i'm glad you're joining the fanbase now because it would be a LOT different a year ago. basically cade is a player his teammates and fans would go to war with any day of the week and i think it's going to be very exciting to see the journey the team goes on in the near future.

[Snakebites]

Welcome!

I can't comment on Detroit specific things, having never lived there myself (southern California native).

We have a smaller community here- for the most part we're all familiar with each other and our posting styles/online personalities. I'd argue it's more personable than a place like Reddit for that reason.

I've been on this forum for over 20 years, and it's been a major outlet for me, given most people in my immediate vincinity are not Piston fans, and as such I have very few people IRL to talk Pistons with.

Glad to have you here!

[BadMofoPimp]

I have lived downtown Detroit as well as Dearborn and far west Detroit in Canton. Detroit is a very old city, a beat up but can be a fun town. Many different unique places to go for good music in small bars. A solid Jazz and Blues vibe as well or Flemenco with Blakcmon and Arnold at some small restaurant behind the bar in Royal Oak. I remember meeting many Chinese people who traveled there attending Detroit University or Wayne State. When it comes to Detroit Culture, that goes way back to the late 80's Pistons who realized the only way would an underdog contend was the old fashioned blue collar approach being the team didn't have the money to contend with the Lakers and Celtics. They did it the hard way. This approach has manifested itself a few times over the years with the 2005 team and current Pistons. It is much harder for small market teams to contend with the big cities. Teams need to find that Niche to contend and motivate their team and fan base. Being I have been around for each manifestation of this team since the mid 80's when I was young watching the Drafts with my pops, I truly enjoy when they develop a team with Chemistry like the current team of which I sure do hope they evolve into contenders. Just wish they had Harris maybe from 2-3 years ago as he may not be able to play at this level for 2-3 more years, but who knows. I don't live up there anymore being a current Floridian, but I do still visit yearly and go hang around to the Cass corridor and visit one of my favorite bars, The Old Miami. Me and Manocad used to go out and visit multiple bars and had some epic drunken experiences like the time he fell off the curb onto the street and his pants fell down. I got a pic somewhere. Always enjoyed seeing my friends up there jamming away including my mother who was a Jazz and Blue artist. I used to see her play at the Old Miami until 2am then drive her home and goto work in a factory in the morning. Endless energy back then as I never got tired and went out often. Maybe one day, my band and I can go play at Harpos. Nothing like when I lived Downtown Detroit in a loft above a store on Michigan Avenue watching people celebrate championship driving by hold a broom out of my living room window with my voice going hoarse. The fantastic sense of pride and accomplishment. Like we proved em all wrong!!!

On a side note, even though I have played in local recreation basketball leagues all over, the best and most competitive ironically had been in Laramie, Wyoming, a town of 30k people. Had a few college and former college players with two referees and everything. But, the Gus Macker 3 on 3 tournaments in Michigan were always a humbling experience for me. I then realized I truly cannot just dominate at a higher level.

The Netflix Documentary is great, but many are out there on Youtube.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

If you are a Pistons fan, then you have to be a George Blaha fan. He has been around the team as a play by play on TV for like 50 years while being the biggest Pistons fan on the planet as he loves every player even though looks the same as he did in the 80's. He just gets to be around his favorite team every day. Dream Job!

[Fennis Dembo]

"awesome forum"

Let's calm down.

[BSD]

welcome chao! i've lived in toronto all my life so i guess i'm technically an international fan even though i probably live closer than most non-michigan US fans of the pistons. i know of detroit's blue-collar pride as a city only by reputation, but it's something that has really been emphasized with the team over the years (even the many bad ones) but this current team has their own "dawg pound" with stewart, duren, holland and ausar. for whatever they lack in skill they try to make up for with athleticism, strength and effort and it's fun to watch. adding JB as their coach last year who is famous for his gritty philosophy was a perfect addition.

again i'm not from detroit so i know of things like detroit-style pizza but i'll let michiganers answer that part because i definitely wouldn't do it justice.

i've really only navigated realGM for all my basketball foruming so can't comment on reddit or other ones, but i think we have a pretty good group here. it's not the largest if you compare to like the knicks or raptors but that's not a bad thing - we have consistent discussion and relatively low drama with discussions.

the media/beat writers i like to follow (mainly on twitter/youtube) are:
bryce simon/motor city hoops
omari sankofi II
pistons jack (from australia, might be worth reaching out to him as an international fan)
ku khalil
wes davenport

there's a bunch more but they all usually interact/collab with each other so you can add more to your follow list as you like.

i'm glad you're joining the fanbase now because it would be a LOT different a year ago. basically cade is a player his teammates and fans would go to war with any day of the week and i think it's going to be very exciting to see the journey the team goes on in the near future.

Thanks so much for the warm welcome and especially for the media recommendations! I’ll definitely check out those media—super helpful for a newbie like me. Really appreciate you taking the time to point me in the right direction.

[BSD]

I have lived downtown Detroit as well as Dearborn and far west Detroit in Canton. Detroit is a very old city, a beat up but can be a fun town. Many different unique places to go for good music in small bars. A solid Jazz and Blues vibe as well or Flemenco with Blakcmon and Arnold at some small restaurant behind the bar in Royal Oak. I remember meeting many Chinese people who traveled there attending Detroit University or Wayne State. When it comes to Detroit Culture, that goes way back to the late 80's Pistons who realized the only way would an underdog contend was the old fashioned blue collar approach being the team didn't have the money to contend with the Lakers and Celtics. They did it the hard way. This approach has manifested itself a few times over the years with the 2005 team and current Pistons. It is much harder for small market teams to contend with the big cities. Teams need to find that Niche to contend and motivate their team and fan base. Being I have been around for each manifestation of this team since the mid 80's when I was young watching the Drafts with my pops, I truly enjoy when they develop a team with Chemistry like the current team of which I sure do hope they evolve into contenders. Just wish they had Harris maybe from 2-3 years ago as he may not be able to play at this level for 2-3 more years, but who knows. I don't live up there anymore being a current Floridian, but I do still visit yearly and go hang around to the Cass corridor and visit one of my favorite bars, The Old Miami. Me and Manocad used to go out and visit multiple bars and had some epic drunken experiences like the time he fell off the curb onto the street and his pants fell down. I got a pic somewhere. Always enjoyed seeing my friends up there jamming away including my mother who was a Jazz and Blue artist. I used to see her play at the Old Miami until 2am then drive her home and goto work in a factory in the morning. Endless energy back then as I never got tired and went out often. Maybe one day, my band and I can go play at Harpos. Nothing like when I lived Downtown Detroit in a loft above a store on Michigan Avenue watching people celebrate championship driving by hold a broom out of my living room window with my voice going hoarse. The fantastic sense of pride and accomplishment. Like we proved em all wrong!!!

On a side note, even though I have played in local recreation basketball leagues all over, the best and most competitive ironically had been in Laramie, Wyoming, a town of 30k people. Had a few college and former college players with two referees and everything. But, the Gus Macker 3 on 3 tournaments in Michigan were always a humbling experience for me. I then realized I truly cannot just dominate at a higher level.

The Netflix Documentary is great, but many are out there on Youtube.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

If you are a Pistons fan, then you have to be a George Blaha fan. He has been around the team as a play by play on TV for like 50 years while being the biggest Pistons fan on the planet as he loves every player even though looks the same as he did in the 80's. He just gets to be around his favorite team every day. Dream Job!

Thanks for the reply! George Blaha is definitely a legend. Actually, I already watched the documentary—that's why I became a Pistons fan: We proved 'em all wrong!!!

[BSD]

"awesome forum"

Let's calm down.

Isn't it?
No worries—just hyped to be here! I’ll keep the Pistons passion in check… mostly

[Crymson]

There's an active Pistons Discord server as well, though I'm not sure if I'm free to link to it here.

[BSD]

There's an active Pistons Discord server as well, though I'm not sure if I'm free to link to it here.

I have already joined it

[tmorgan]

One thing to look for when watching clips of the locker room after games — the Pistons hsve a Player of the Game belt they pass around. The winner presents it to the next winner. Pretty cool tradition.

[VicVinegar]

I have only lived in metro Detroit my life and never actually in Detroit, so someone can provide better context, but I'll try my best:

The biggest thing about Detroit sports and what separates it from other cities are the blue collar citizens and the "Detroit vs Everybody" mentality. These aren't people driving around in their sports cars to the beach and taking week long vacations to Hawaii every summer. It's people working long, hard, physical hours in order to support their families, and not complaining about it! It's not a luxurious life, but the effort it takes is something to be proud of. And I think it's why so many people gravitate to the sports teams. In an area where "not a lot is happening", it's something to talk about and something to be excited about. And in a pretty diverse area, being a sports fan is something people can have in common no matter what their background is. "Detroit vs Everybody" is exactly how it sounds - if you aren't from around here, no one respects you. Ignorant people across the nation think that Detroit is just one giant Ghetto. We say we are from Detroit (with pride!) and people just think, "Eww." When it comes to sports - you will never get the referee calls, the free agents, the awards, the media attention, etc. that major cities get. You will get snubbed for everything. If Game 4 was reversed (At Madison Square Garden, Knicks down late), you bet your ass they would've called a foul if it was Jalen Brunson, and he'd get to shoot the game winning free throws. But Tim Hardaway Jr. at Detroit? LOL, tough break pal. But the thing is... WE LIKE IT. This is our rallying cry. We don't want to be like you guys. We want to roll up our sleeves, work hard, and kick your ass DESPITE everything being rigged against us. That's the same underdog mentality that our citizens have. We just roll up our sleeves and go to work.

Short story - I went to a Pistons game vs Trailblazers at the start of 2023/2024 season on some random weekday. Tim Meadows (actor, SNL alum) was just chilling alone, wearing a hat, watching the game like 20 rows up in the lower bowl. Probably was like a $100 ticket. Now I know he's not an A-list or even a B-list actor, but still, was cool just seeing him there as "some dude" who wanted to watch the Pistons on a random Tuesday or Wednesday or whatever it was. He didn't need the red carpet rollout, or courtside seats, or even someone to go with. Dude is just a fan. To me that is so much cooler than "random millionaire who doesn't even like this team but sits courtside at Lakers/Knicks games because they can".

[BSD]

I have only lived in metro Detroit my life and never actually in Detroit, so someone can provide better context, but I'll try my best:

The biggest thing about Detroit sports and what separates it from other cities are the blue collar citizens and the "Detroit vs Everybody" mentality. These aren't people driving around in their sports cars to the beach and taking week long vacations to Hawaii every summer. It's people working long, hard, physical hours in order to support their families, and not complaining about it! It's not a luxurious life, but the effort it takes is something to be proud of. And I think it's why so many people gravitate to the sports teams. In an area where "not a lot is happening", it's something to talk about and something to be excited about. And in a pretty diverse area, being a sports fan is something people can have in common no matter what their background is. "Detroit vs Everybody" is exactly how it sounds - if you aren't from around here, no one respects you. Ignorant people across the nation think that Detroit is just one giant Ghetto. We say we are from Detroit (with pride!) and people just think, "Eww." When it comes to sports - you will never get the referee calls, the free agents, the awards, the media attention, etc. that major cities get. You will get snubbed for everything. If Game 4 was reversed (At Madison Square Garden, Knicks down late), you bet your ass they would've called a foul if it was Jalen Brunson, and he'd get to shoot the game winning free throws. But Tim Hardaway Jr. at Detroit? LOL, tough break pal. But the thing is... WE LIKE IT. This is our rallying cry. We don't want to be like you guys. We want to roll up our sleeves, work hard, and kick your ass DESPITE everything being rigged against us. That's the same underdog mentality that our citizens have. We just roll up our sleeves and go to work.

Short story - I went to a Pistons game vs Trailblazers at the start of 2023/2024 season on some random weekday. Tim Meadows (actor, SNL alum) was just chilling alone, wearing a hat, watching the game like 20 rows up in the lower bowl. Probably was like a $100 ticket. Now I know he's not an A-list or even a B-list actor, but still, was cool just seeing him there as "some dude" who wanted to watch the Pistons on a random Tuesday or Wednesday or whatever it was. He didn't need the red carpet rollout, or courtside seats, or even someone to go with. Dude is just a fan. To me that is so much cooler than "random millionaire who doesn't even like this team but sits courtside at Lakers/Knicks games because they can".

Love that story

[Fennis Dembo]

And in a pretty diverse area, being a sports fan is something people can have in common no matter what their background is.

A pretty entertaining example of this is 97.1 had a Chaldean Martin and a Albanian Martin call up about the Lions, one being persistently optimistic the other pessimistic.