Detroit Pistons: Are the Teal uniforms coming back?

Are the Detroit Pistons trying to tell us something?

During the Pistons’ 111-91 loss to the Houston Rockets on August 10 in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, the staff was wearing teal polos.

You don’t accidentally wear teal polos to anything – regular season games, summer league or even practices – if you’re part of the organization, simply because you know it’ll tease a fan base hungry for the throwback uniforms.

The fact that there were official Detroit Pistons people actually wearing teal might have been more exciting to think about than the Cade Cunningham vs. Jalen Green matchup (we say, might).

Detroit Pistons: The return of the Teal

Unless they were just granned out of an old laundry hamper at the Performance Center and given to the summer league coaches to get rid of them, something sounds afoot. Team colors are heavily regulated things in all pro sports.

These uniforms made their debut during the 1996-1997 season, lasting until 2001. During that span, the Pistons went 194-184 and didn’t have any playoff appearances.

OK, not exactly good luck charms but, over the years, fans and players, such as former Pistons center Andre Drummond, have petitioned for the teal color to return. The Bad Boys nor the Goin’ to Work’ crew wore them, but it still brings back a lot of memories.

I, for one, am hot and cold about the teal uniforms. Would I have wanted to see the team wear these over the past decade of unapologetic mediocre to bad basketball? No.

Do I want to see the Pistons wear these now that there has been life injected into the organization, after two strong off-season’s from general manager Troy Weaver and his staff? You bet I do.

I mean, come on…

Hype and teasing aside, will the Pistons bring these uniforms back? According to a 2019 Detroit News article, it sounds like next season will be the first chance the team can do so.

“We definitely hear the fans, and we see all the comments on social media,” said Jason George, then vice president and creative director with the Pistons. “When it comes to throwback uniforms, the league has set rules on when you can use a throwback uniform; it has to fall within their Hardwood Classics program. That means it has to fall on an anniversary of your franchise. Our first opportunity would be the 2022-2023 season, because it would be the 80th anniversary of 1941.”

So why, since it can not happen until the season after next, were Pistons coaching wearing Teal? We will just have to wait and see.