On Sunday, long-time NBA veteran Bojan Bogdanovic officially announced his retirement from professional basketball. For most Pistons fans, this news is probably extraordinarily unremarkable. Bogdanovic spent just a couple seasons in Detroit and didn’t contribute to many wins. But for me, a fan since 2022 (I moved to Michigan in January that year) and season-ticket holder for two of the worst seasons in franchise history from 2022-24, he holds a special, conflicted place in my heart.
Bogdanovic didn’t join the team at a time when the roster was equipped to win games (like, at all) but he did consistently show up as a consummate professional and serve the role of professional bucket-getter. He was often the second leading scorer and even assumed the primary role when Cade Cunningham was injured or resting. When I think back on his Pistons tenure, two specific memories come to mind in vivid detail.
Memory #1: Los Angeles Lakers @ Detroit Pistons, December 11, 2022.
The Lakers were clearly the superior team going into the game, and the Pistons were already 7-21 heading into this matchup. In the first half the Lakers showed their superiority and jumped out to a double-digit lead (12 at halftime). But the Pistons would not go down without a fight - especially Bojan Bogdanovic.
In the third quarter, Bogdanovic would have a career heat check. On four consecutive plays, he hit 3- pointers and finished with five threes and 25 points overall in the quarter to bring the Pistons to within one. Of those four consecutive plays, three of them came off the exact same action. A simple cut from the left corner to the left wing coming off a pick.
The beauty of this simple action resulting in 12 points over the course of like two minutes was not lost on me. It showed the hours of work that Bogey had put into that shot to be able to get it off even when everyone in the arena knew exactly how the play was going to run. The Pistons ultimately went on to lose the game but my resounding memory will always be Bojan Bogdanovic summoning the full manifestation of his nearly two decades of professional basketball experience to give the city of Detroit hope in an otherwise dreadful season.
Memory #2: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Detroit Pistons, November 7, 2022.
This was a fun little cross-conference rivalry back in the days when both teams were hardcore tanking. Of course the Thunder are now world champions and the Pistons are finally re-entering the playoffs but there was a time when both were rebuilding.
The Thunder jumped out to a 15 point halftime lead and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was displaying his future star potential. He racked up 21 points and it seemed like the Pistons had absolutely no answer for him. The Pistons tried all their young athletic guards and wings but no one could stop him from getting to his spots and scoring.
Coming out of halftime, the Pistons made the adjustment of switching 33-year-old Bogdanovic onto SGA. And somehow, it worked to perfection. Shai was held to 12 points in the second half and the Thunder offense floundered without his dominance. I remember being absolutely baffled watching it unfold in real time, wondering how Bogey of all people was able to hunker down on defense and stop this future MVP.
The Pistons ended up coming back to win with a 24-6 run in the third quarter that I believe stemmed largely from Bogdanovic’s defensive effort. His performance in this game showed the importance of doing whatever it takes to give your team a chance, even if it’s outside of your normal perceived role.
Ultimately, Bojan Bogdanovic’s legacy in Detroit is one of trying and teaching. I hope that one day when Cade Cunningham leads the team to more glory, he will remember the lessons that Bogey gave him way back when.