| Detroit Free Press
In July, the Detroit Pistons purchased their own G League team that’ll begin playing on Wayne State’s campus during the 2021-22 season.
On Friday, that team received a new name.
The Pistons G League affiliate is named the Motor City Cruise — a shout to Detroit’s history as the the center of the automobile industry — and feature a red, white and blue logo aligning the team with the Pistons’ traditional colors. The logo is a basketball with flaming twin tailpipes, a nod to the team’s branding during the “Goin To Work” era of the early 2000s.
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Grandville resident Dylan Martin is the winner of the fan naming contest, which was held from July until August, and was the first of 10 fans to pitch the “Motor City Cruise” name. Martin will receive four courtside tickets and a VIP package for the Cruise’s inaugural season in 2021-22, and the other nine fans will receive two season tickets and prize packs.
“After considering many clever submissions, we are excited to announce the Motor City Cruise as the next professional sports franchise for the city of Detroit,” team owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “We wanted Pistons fans to help us with the naming process and engage with our new brand from the beginning. Our new G League team will create an affordable entertainment option in Detroit and also play an important role in our player development goals.
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“We thank those who took time to offer suggestions.”
The Cruise will replace the Grand Rapids Drive as the Pistons’ G League affiliate after next season. For the Pistons, having a G League team less than two miles away from both the Little Caesars Arena and the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center will have several benefits from a player development and convenience standpoint.
“Grand Rapids, the fan base there was good and it was good for our program,” Pistons head coach Dwane Casey told reporters in July. “This is going to make it so much easier. Say we have a veteran player who needs to get a rehab workout in or practice in, and he doesn’t have to go two and half hours or jump on a plane to go anywhere. He can just go out to practice, not in a training room, to rehab with our G League affiliate. We can also use it for that. It’s such a huge plus to have it right there.”
The Cruise will play its 24 home games at a new arena currently being constructed on Wayne State’s campus. The franchise is accepting season ticket deposits for the 2021-22 season. Orders can be placed by calling 313-PISTONS or logging on to www.nba.com/pistons/tickets/g-league-detroit.
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