Cleveland — During the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, the Pistons will have three of their young players representing the team in the Rising Stars Challenge and the Skills Challenge on Friday and Saturday.
They’ll have another representative in the All-Star Game itself on Sunday night.
Claire Czerniuk, the Pistons’ director of game operations, will manage the entertainment and game experience for everyone at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Just like the players in the game, it’s a huge honor to be invited to do the All-Star Game, because only one of 30 operations directors in the league is selected.
“The league reached out to our executive staff requesting me to participate in producing the All-Star Game, so I was obviously honored and always shocked when you get opportunities like this because there are so many talented people in the league and in production,” Czerniuk said. “Just to be able to bring my experience there was overwhelming and I’m very excited to do it. I did participate in 2020 before the COVID shutdown when it was in Chicago.
“It was a great experience, so to have the opportunity to do that again, knowing how great a time we had. It’s really just an honor.”
Czerniuk came to the Pistons from New York, and she brought with her a wealth of knowledge in production for big events. In learning about how to put a complete show together, she had to get familiar with Detroit and its uniqueness.
That was a little more difficult during the pandemic because even at the end of last season, Little Caesars Arena allowed a maximum of 750 fans to attend games. It’s hard to gauge how well some of the in-game activities and interactions are going.
In working with all of the Pistons’ entertainment teams, which includes the Dance Team, the Extreme Team, the Drumline and many others, she has found things that work well, which is a little bit easier with full-size crowds allowed again.
“I was sitting at the table, it’s an empty bowl for most of (last) season and I think we’re doing fun things. It’s really to keep the players in an environment that felt sort of normal,” she said. “Fans started coming into the building halfway through, and I was like, ‘OK, we show up for games and we’re dressed, and we are here.’
“So, I noticed it right away. And I knew I had to do something with it.”
The welcome swaggin’
Most arenas around the league have a Dance Cam, a Kiss Cam and other things during timeouts to encourage fan interaction. Pistons fans dress for games — it’s something different than most other fans around the league.
Czerniuk noticed that, and her team came up with the Swag Cam.
It’s a mashup of an impromptu fashion show and photo booth and it ranges from expensive chains and jewelry, designer clothes and celebrity sightings. It’s included local luminaries and athletes — and even Big Sean, who joined in the act from his courtside seat.
Czerniuk won’t take the credit for coming up with the idea, though.
“I definitely read the room on that one — but Detroit came up with the Swag Cam; it wasn’t me,” Czerniuk said. “But I think in all elements, I just try to be genuine to the city, and then, of course, honor what we’re doing on the Pistons’ business side, and complement the marketing goals and doing it for the city…
“There’s such a strong and rich talent and culture here that we want to showcase in all facets of what we do. We literally bring people in from the city to sing the anthem, for halftime, and instrumentalists, vocalists, choirs and groups, and we really want to give them a platform to show off because the talent is deep here.”
Part of the trick to the job is staying authentic and representing the city and providing opportunities for local artists, whether it be singing the national anthem, performing at halftime or interacting with fans during timeouts.
Team effort
With a staff of more than 200, Czerniuk has a lot of help pulling everything together to make each game day work out well. One of the big keys is the public-address announcer, John Mason, who has been synonymous with the Pistons for so many years.
“He brings everything to the table. Mason and the way that he executes a lot of what he does is his own; it’s his mark. He is probably one of the most important pieces for me on game day,” she said. “He brings the energy all on his own, and I think fans really love him. I love working with him.
“He’s a great personality aside from what he does for game day. He’s a great personality to work with and that brings its own flair that is recognized around the league and he can’t be duplicated. He is truly unique.”
With so much going on from the opening whistle to the final buzzer, Czerniuk can’t always keep up with the score, but the production goes on without a hitch regardless of the score. In the Pistons’ case in the last two seasons, they haven’t been on the winning side as often, but the responsibility for keeping the fans engaged remains the same.
“I’m watching the game very closely. I don’t enjoy the end product until it’s complete, because then I feel good when it’s over, because I know that we’ve done it well,” Czerniuk said. “In the moment, there are exciting moments, but actually the exciting moments when everyone else is screaming is when I need to be the most locked in and zoned in.
“There have been playoff games that I’ve directed and big moments and retirement ceremonies that fans are going crazy around me and I don’t even hear it. I’m so locked into what I’m doing to make sure that I get it right — and flawlessly.”
Czerniuk is looking to bring that same energy to Cleveland for the All-Star Game, and it’s her time in the limelight.
NBA Skills Challenge
► Tipoff: 9 p.m. Saturday, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland
► TV: TNT
► Outlook: Cade Cunningham will represent the Pistons on the Rookies Team in the Skills Competition, teaming with Scottie Barnes and Josh Giddey.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard