NBA: Are The Pistons Moving Back To Detroit With The Red Wings?

Could the Detroit Pistons be heading back to the Motor City?

There is a possibility. According to reports, representatives from the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons have been in talks to potentially share a new arena, Little Caesars Arena, as soon as 2017. The Red Wings have played at Joe Louis Arena since 1979, but it is scheduled to be demolished in 2017.

For those who don’t know, the Pistons have played their home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan since 1988. They previous played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan from 1978-1988. For perspective, the city of Auburn Hills is about 30 miles away from Detroit. The last time the Pistons have been able to call Detroit “home” was in 1977 when they played at the Cobo Center. There was a 15-game stretch when the Pistons played at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in 1985 due to the Silverdome’s roof collapsing.

The Red Wings are staying in Detroit, but does that necessarily mean the Pistons will come back? According to the Detroit Free Press, the Pistons could actually move back to Detroit as soon as 2017.

The main obstacle of course is finding a convenient way to have these two franchises operate in the same arena. It’s also important to note that the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League have very similar schedules. This would create a few challenges, but then again, if done properly, it could bring in more profits for a financially hurting Detroit.

One may wonder why the Red Wings would even want to have another team in their building. The Red Wings are the far more successful franchise and Detroit is ‘Hockey Town’ after all, but the reality is the NBA trumps the NHL market as a whole. The same philosophy follows in the biggest city of America; New York City. The New York Rangers and New York Knicks have shared Madison Square garden since 1968, and it’s safe to say it’s been a successful adventure.