The Pistons started their season off right Wednesday night, beating the Washington Wizards, 113-102. But really the good vibes started before the opening tip thanks to a new batch of player introductions and the reintroduction of Chauncey Billups in a Pistons uniform.
Billups was a key piece in the last successful Pistons era, and ever since being traded away the team has been sliding further from relevancy. But this is a new season, with new hopes, and behind Mr. Big Shot, the team looks like it can not only reclaim relevancy but actually compete for a spot in the 4-to-6 range in the Eastern Conference.
That might not sound like a great feat for a team that not so long ago felt like an appearance in the Eastern Conference finals was a foregone conclusion. But for fans of this franchise it now feels like a lifetime.
And it didn't take long for Billups to make his presence felt. He sank a series of clutch 3-pointers and eventually had the crowd chanting "M-V-P."
The feeling was not lost on Billups.
"Feels like home," said Billups, who had 16 points, five assists and went 4-of-5 from downtown. "Feels like old times, man. The energy in the building sounded familiar."
Here is an Instagram video of the Billups introduction:
User larry_cv31 has great videos for each individual intro, so head over to his Instagram account for more. And if you're wondering about that username, yes, indeed, that is the same guy who has a giant Charlie Villanueva tattoo on his arm.
EDIT: Boom Roasted in comments points to a better version of the Fox Sports Detroit broadcast of the intro. Gracias.