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Detroit Pistons and Detroit Shock Receive New Roster Additions in 2009

In 2009, the rosters of Detroit's two professional basketball teams will start looking younger and larger. As part of a partnership between the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), the Detroit Pistons and the 2008 WNBA Champion Detroit Shock, every baby born at Huron-Valley Sinai Hospital, Hutzel Women's Hospital and Sinai-Grace Hospitals will be signed to a Pistons or Shock “new player contract” making the “rookies” honorary members of the team. The DMC is the Official Healthcare Services Provider for both the Pistons and the Shock.

This will mark the third year the Pistons and Shock have offered contracts to babies born at DMC hospitals. In 2007, the three hospitals welcomed nearly 10,000 babies to metro Detroit.

“This is a unique and fun way to utilize our partnership with the DMC to reach out to the community and we are thrilled to welcome the many new 2009 arrivals into our Pistons and Shock family,” said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment. “We thank the DMC for their continued partnership and hope to see these new additions grow to become future hall-of-famers ‘on and off the court’.”

To attract young players early in the year, the Pistons and Shock are offering a commemorative gift basket to the first baby born at Hutzel Women's Hospital in 2009. The basket will include Pistons or Shock practice and game gear and gifts for the parents of the budding NBA/WNBA star.

“These contracts will be great for their baby books or framed on the wall,” Wilson said. “These keepsakes are unique pieces for our partnership with DMC and were extremely popular the first two years.”

“We always see incredible talent at Sinai Grace, Huron Valley-Sinai and Hutzel Women’s Hospital,” said Mike Duggan, Detroit Medical Center’s CEO, “It’s not a surprise that we’d see talent in the basketball arena coming from these great facilities with top doctors and incredible support teams. With nearly 10,000 new rookies born at the DMC just this year alone, the Pistons and the Shock should be all set with new team members around 2027.”

The Detroit Medical Center operates nine hospitals and institutions, including Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Receiving Hospital and University Health Center, Harper University Hospital, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Hutzel Women’s Hospital, Kresge Eye Institute, Michigan Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and Sinai-Grace Hospital.

Established as a nonprofit corporation in 1985, the Detroit Medical Center is a leading regional health care system with a mission of excellence in clinical care, research and medical education. The Detroit Medical Center is the academic health center for Wayne State University and its schools of medicine, nursing and allied health services. Wayne State University School of Medicine is the one of America’s top medical schools.

National City Corporation, one of the nation’s largest financial holding companies, is the presenting sponsor for the Detroit Pistons. For more information about National City, please visit www.nationalcity.com. For more information regarding the 2009 Pistons and Shock Player contracts for the DMC, or to become a member of the Detroit Pistons Crew (ticket plan holders), please contact The Palace at (248) 377-0100 or visit www.pistons.com.