AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – If you know the history behind the nickname, the Detroit Pistons game on January 18 against the Sacramento Kings will be very special for fans of Vinnie Johnson. If you don’t remember Vinnie’s nickname, the night will be special, anyway.
On Friday, before the 8:00 p.m. tip-off, the Pistons will give away 7,500 commemorative posters, compliments of ABC Warehouse and GE, celebrating Johnson’s nickname – The Microwave -- bestowed upon him in the 1980s by Boston Celtics guard Danny Ainge.
During the game, one lucky fan -- the one selected as cheering the loudest -- will take home a GE Profile Advantium microwave (retail value of $799), compliments of ABC Warehouse and GE. The big winner will also receive a $100 Palace gift card.
Other boisterous, randomly selected fans (36 in all) will go home with vouchers for microwaves (of lesser value than the Advantium) from ABC Warehouse and GE.
Ainge described Johnson’s performance in Game Five of the 1985 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, in which Johnson scored 22 points in the fourth quarter (34 total) to lift the Pistons to a 102-99 victory, this way: “If they call William Perry (Chicago Bears) ‘The Fridge’, then you’ve got to call Vinnie Johnson ‘The Microwave’ because he heats up in a hurry.”
The Detroit Pistons are celebrating 50 seasons in the Motor City. The Pistons moved to Detroit for the 1957-58 season from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Pistons will have a commemorative patch of the 50th Season logo on their jerseys for the year and will wear replica jerseys from the 1957-58 season for select games.
Rock Financial, Michigan’s largest mortgage company, is celebrating its fifth season as the presenting sponsor for the 2007-08 Detroit Pistons. For more information about Rock Financial, please visit www.rockfinancial.com. To purchase tickets for any upcoming Pistons home games, including Friday’s game against Sacramento, please contact the Palace at (248) 377-0100 or visit www.pistons.com.