{"id":113019,"date":"2024-12-18T16:50:15","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T21:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=113019"},"modified":"2024-12-18T16:50:15","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T21:50:15","slug":"tom-gores-effort-to-restore-pistons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/18\/tom-gores-effort-to-restore-pistons\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Gores\u2019 Efforts To Restore Pistons\u2019 Legacy and Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Pistons<\/a> are set to play their last home game of 2024 against the Utah Jazz<\/a>, a team that left a bitter taste for Pistons fans last season. In their December 21st matchup, the Jazz rested four of their top seven scorers and still managed a 119-111<\/a> victory. That loss marked Detroit\u2019s 25th consecutive defeat, but the tension inside Little Caesars Arena went deeper.<\/p>\n

With 43.7 seconds left in the game, Pistons fans erupted into chants of \u201cSell the team<\/a>,\u201d voicing their frustrations with owner Tom Gores. Since purchasing the franchise in 2011, Gores has overseen eleven losing seasons, including a franchise-worst 14-68 record in 2023-24. The Pistons have reached the playoffs only twice under his ownership, getting swept both times. While Gores has emphasized his contributions<\/a> to Detroit\u2019s community, fans see his leadership as falling short where it matters most\u2014on the court.<\/p>\n

“They can say what they want, but that\u2019s ridiculous, It\u2019s ridiculous. Other than winning, and we should win more games, we do everything to bring the best to Detroit. Sell the team? They don\u2019t understand what we\u2019re doing in the community. I know we have to have more wins, but we\u2019re taking care and are being in tune with the community. Me selling the team would be selling the community out. I\u2019m not doing that to the community. When you put aside basketball, we\u2019ve made a very big difference in the community, and that means a lot to me. I understand that\u2019s only going to mean a lot to people if we win, but the underworking of what\u2019s happening and our community over all these years is there. We\u2019re doing multi-billion dollar things outside of it. I understand fans being upset, but it\u2019s a ridiculous thought.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In response to the backlash, Gores made swift personnel changes to shift the franchise\u2019s direction. Now, as the Jazz return to Detroit, how far has the Pistons\u2019 owner come in winning back the trust of the fanbase? Should fans still demand that Gores sell the team? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n