With football season over, many Detroit sports fans are searching for their next obsession — and they might find it at Little Caesars Arena.
For Lions fans, the end of football season always feels abrupt. One week we’re living and dying with every third down, every red-zone snap, every Dan Campbell gamble. The next week, the helmets are packed away, Ford Field is quiet and our Sundays suddenly feel a little too calm.
But Detroit sports aren’t done with us yet. Not even close.
Because while the Lions catch their breath, the Pistons are giving you every reason to keep the fire going. If you haven’t been watching, now is the time to jump in — and if you have been watching, you already know why.
Why the Pistons should be your next team
Detroit is in the middle of a sports renaissance. The Lions have become contenders. The Red Wings and Tigers are rising. And the Pistons — after years of frustration — finally have a foundation that feels real.
That foundation is the All-Star duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and a roster that plays every game like it’s their last, from top to bottom.
Cunningham is the maestro — the leader who controls the game the way a great quarterback controls a drive.
Duren is the force — the finisher and athletic marvel who turns every lob into a highlight and every rebound into a second chance.
Together, they’ve transformed Detroit’s offense into one of the most exciting young units in the NBA. Fans who love the Lions because they’re tough, disciplined and built on culture can expect to love this Pistons team for the same reasons.
What you might’ve missed while you were focused on football
Cade Cunningham became a superstar
Last season, Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds — earning All-NBA honors and his first All-Star appearance. This year, he’s been even better. He’s scoring more efficiently, facilitating at an elite level and controlling games with a calmness that feels familiar to anyone who watched Jared Goff evolve into a franchise cornerstone.
He even joined Michael Jordan in the record books with a 40-point triple-double that included five steals. Yes — that Michael Jordan.
Jalen Duren became one of the league’s most dominant bigs
Duren is averaging career highs across the board, leads the NBA in dunks and has become a nightly double-double machine. He’s the Pistons’ version of a downhill running back — powerful, explosive and impossible to ignore.
And the chemistry between him and Cunningham? It’s becoming one of the best two-man games in basketball.
The Pistons have won — a lot — and they’re fun!
Detroit has already beaten playoff teams, dominated stretches of November and February and climbed the to the mountaintop of the Eastern Conference standings at 40-13.
Where they’re at now
They play fast, they play connected and they play with a joy that’s contagious — and it’s been effective to the tune of the best record in the NBA at the All-Star break.
If the Lions gave you belief, the Pistons are ready to give you momentum.
Both teams share the same DNA: young stars, a clear identity, a potent culture and a fan base starving for something real.
The Lions showed Detroit what it looks like when talent meets toughness. The Pistons are showing what it looks like when talent meets chemistry.
So hop on now — it’s not too late.
Football season may be over, but Detroit sports aren’t slowing down. The Pistons are rising, their stars are blossoming and their games are becoming appointment viewing.
So if you’re looking for your next team to believe in, the Pistons are right here — and you’re going to want to say you were watching from the beginning.