With the Detroit Pistons playing their last game at the Palace of Auburn Hills last night, the franchise will now have to focus its attention on preparing to move into Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit.
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One of the first steps they are taking? Making an initial pitch to eventually host the NBA All-Star Game.
Pistons owner Tom Gores and Palace Sports and Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellem made a presentation in New York last week during the NBA’s Board of Governors meeting, according to the Detroit Free Press‘s Vince Ellis.
Tellem told Ellis that they gave the league owners an update about the new arena at I-75 and Woodward Avenue, encouraging them to come and see its progress:
"“The NBA is very supportive and really excited that we’re making this move,” Tellem said. “We told them we’re moving into the best new arena in North America and we’re hoping, down the road, to bring an All-Star Game to Detroit and welcome all the owners and show them all the wonderful things happening in Detroit.”"
The Pistons had announced in November they would be moving into the arena for the 2017-18 season along with the Olympia Entertainment-owned Detroit Red Wings.
LCA had been originally conceived as the exclusive home of the NHL franchise to replace Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings played their final game at the 38-year-old facility on April 9. The Pistons meanwhile will be playing in downtown for the first time since 1978.
Detroit lost their final game at the Palace 105-101 to the Washington Wizards last night.
Throughout its 29-year history, the famed facility in Auburn Hills never hosted the NBA All-Star Game. The Pistons last had the opportunity to so was in 1979, their first season in the Pontiac Superdome.
During the team’s press conference back then, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters the new arena would help the bidding process for hosting the All-Star Game:
"“I think it greatly enhances their chance to get an All-Star Game,” Silver said."
The City of Los Angeles is set to host the All-Star Game in 2018, while Charlotte is considered a favourite for 2019’s festivities. The Hornets had been set to host the 2017 event before the league pulled out due to the state of North Carolina’s controversial bathroom law. This year’s All-Star Game was soon after moved to New Orleans.
As noted by Ellis, Silver has previously stated that Charlotte is eligible to host the game in 2019 after a partial repeal of the law.
Of course, there is still a long road ahead for PS&E and the Pistons over the next six months. The team will be signing its formal lease agreement with Olympia in the next few weeks, according to Tellem.
There is a lot of construction work left to do, including updating the facility designs for the NBA’s standards and preparing to build their new practice facility:
"“It’s hard to believe, in six months, we’ll be playing our first game at Little Caesars Arena,” Tellem said. “Tonight was a celebration of the memories we have at the Palace and, to me, a jump start on all the memories we’re going to create at this new arena. We have a lot of work to do between now and next October.”"
Next: 3-on-3: The legacy of the Palace of Auburn Hills
The league will be voting to officially approve the move during its annual meeting in Las Vegas this July.