Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has heard fans chanting “sell the team” as the team’s losing streak sits at 25 games — just one away from tying the NBA record — and he’s not going to create many new supporters with his response.
Speaking to reporters on Zoom from his home in California on Friday night, Gores lashed out at both the idea of him selling the team and the fans chanting it.
Per the Detroit Free Press:
“They can say what they want, but that’s ridiculous,” Gores said during a conference call. “It’s ridiculous. Other than winning, and we should win more games, we do everything to bring the best to Detroit. Sell the team? They don’t understand what we’re doing in the community. I know we have to have more wins, but we’re taking care and are being in tune with the community. Me selling the team would be selling the community out. I’m not doing that to the community. When you put aside basketball, we’ve made a very big difference in the community, and that means a lot to me. I understand that’s only going to mean a lot to people if we win, but the underworking’s of what’s happening and our community over all these years is there. We’re doing multi-billion dollar things outside of it. I understand fans being upset, but it’s a ridiculous thought.”
Asking fans angry about the team’s historic poor performance to judge their success based on the impact the Pistons are having in the community is moving the goalposts at its finest.
The audacity of Gores saying “put aside basketball” when that is literally the source of the problem here is more ridiculous than asking him to sell the team. So, too, is expecting fans to have patience when the franchise is two games away from setting an NBA futility record.
Gores did note that there will be significant changes coming soon, but that feels like it could’ve been said without chiding the people who are still showing up to games. Especially when the type of change Gores is expecting has less to do with front office personnel than roster tweaks.
Per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press, who was on the call with Gores:
There were no firings to announce. [Head coach] Monty Williams’ job is safe, as is [general manager Troy] Weaver’s. But Gores promised big changes nonetheless. And while he didn’t dive into specifics on Friday, it’s safe to say, based on conversations with decision-makers in the organization, that the front office will be very active in the trade market in the coming weeks and months and will prioritize addressing roster deficiencies and adding veteran talent that complements the young core.