Sara Kocho eagerly waited in line outside Little Caesars Arena with her husband and two young children Sunday afternoon.
Kocho and her family were among the fans who ventured to downtown Detroit on a brisk day to catch a glimpse of the 2023-24 edition of the Detroit Pistons. The open practice was important to Kocho because her children would get a chance to see their favorite athletes up close.
“This gets us excited for the season and my daughter’s favorite player is Cade Cunningham,” Kocho said.
There is an air of excitement around this season since Cunningham, the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, returns to the lineup after missing most of last season with a left leg injury. The Pistons front office also hired well-respected coach Monty Williams.
And although the Pistons have played two exhibition games and have two more to play before the season opener on Oct. 25 at the Miami Heat, the open practice has become an annual date on the Detroit sports calendar.
“We know that during the season not a lot of groups can come to regular games for a variety of reasons, so this is a nice chance for the community to come out and see the team for the first time,” Pistons Community and Social Responsibility VP Erika Swilley said while seated courtside just before Williams greeted the crowd.
Williams thanked the fans for their support. He also thanked General Manager Troy Weaver, Vice Chairman Arn Tellem and Pistons owner Tom Gores for the opportunity.
“I think it’s cool for us to be able to show the community what we do, and I wanted the fans to see a portion of what we do in practice so they can understand what our guys go through,” Williams said after practice.
“I hope our fans saw that our guys are serious about stacking good days and getting better - today was an indication of that.”
As fan signs filled the lower bowl, Pistons mascot Hooper and the Pistons entertainment team got the crowd hyped as the players ran through drills.
After the practice concluded, the veterans entertained the fans by teasing the rookies, who dressed up as fictional characters and had to sing along with familiar musical hits. Marcus Sasser was dressed as Scooby-Doo, and Ausar Thompson was dressed as a Ken doll.
“It was real fun for me,” Sasser said. “This was my first open practice in Detroit, and I can tell the fans got a lot of love and they are really passionate about their team - even with the humiliation at the end.”
Fans erupted when the entire Pistons team ended the practice by tossing dozens of Pistons-themed T-shirts into the crowd.
“This event is great because it’s very family-friendly and we see a lot of community groups and different organizations here as well,” Swilley said. “It’s a really nice way to tip off the season.” For more ticket information about upcoming season, go here