Pistons Throwbacks: Let’s get weird, 90s style

Let’s start this with the obvious: The Detroit Pistons have needed a rebrand for a decade.

The moment the “Going To Work” era ended in 2009, the Pistons changed. They weren’t the gritty, hard-working encapsulation of Detroit anymore. Nope, they were a team — one that wasn’t even particularly good — pretending they weren’t rebuilding as they wallowed away in a small market garnering zero new or future fans.

Sure, the Pistons’ lackluster play on the court is a big reason why they’re still working to win back fans today, but the other side of the coin is in the aesthetics. People, especially young people, like The Millennial, are into new things. Specifically, they like new things that are actually old things.

Think about it.

Every movie is a remake. Every clothing store you walk into has stuff with old 90s logos on ‘em – hell, even my own closet features a t-shirt with an MTV logo and another with the “Kodak Moments” line from the 90s.

People love new, but only if it has a hint of nostalgia attached to it.

The Pistons desperately need that infusion of new… but also old. The current uniforms are a bit of a throwback; an ode to the Bad Boys era with a sharper (in an early-2000s kind of way) look to them.

I’m convinced that the Grant Hill era is the way to go, but not the teal you’re thinking about. I want to see them roll out the red alternates that they wore from 1997-2001. We’re never going to see a full rebrand to that era, but an alternate sure would be fun. This is the kind of jersey people at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo DREAM about acquiring.

USATSI

Some of the traditional red-ish color would still be represented with these horse logo’d alternates, and it rekindles memories of the 1990s. If you think about it, there are a lot of parallels between Hill’s tenure with Detroit and this Blake Griffin era.

So, make the change, Detroit. Get rid of the traffic lines and embrace your past.

Let’s get weird.