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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 18: Cade Cunningham #2, Jalen Duren #0 and Isaiah Stewart #28 of the Detroit Pistons react during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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It wasn\u2019t that long ago that the Detroit Pistons were sitting squarely at the bottom of the NBA standings.<\/p>\n
During an especially rough 2023-24 campaign, the Pistons went a franchise-worst 14-68<\/a>, which included an NBA-record 28-game losing streak. It was Detroit\u2019s fifth straight year of missing the playoffs \u2013 a stretch where the team never won more than 23 games in a season.<\/p>\n Less than two years later, though, all of that failure is a thing of the past both on- and off-the-court.<\/p>\n Detroit\u2019s Soaring On-Court Start<\/p>\n The Pistons\u2019 encouraging 2024-25 season, including a hard-fought series loss to the Knicks, has looked like just the first step in a larger climb.<\/p>\n As of Dec. 9, Detroit leads the East by 2.5 games over New York. The team\u2019s 19-5 record is second in the NBA only to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and its 13-game winning streak tied a franchise record. ESPN\u2019s Basketball Power Index already gives them a 98.9% chance<\/a> to make the playoffs in April.<\/p>\n The impressive start has been a full team effort, as evidenced by six different players averaging double-digit points per game. But Cade Cunningham has also ascended into another stratosphere as a superstar over the past 18 months.<\/p>\n If his current averages hold, the former No. 1 overall draft pick would set career highs in points per game (27.5) and free throw attempts per game (7.8), along with rebounds (6.4) and assists (9.3). After Cunningham made his NBA All-Star debut in 2025, he looks likely to make a return trip in 2026.<\/p>\n The Pistons note to Forbes that since the start of this season, the amount of Cade Cunningham merchandise purchased on Pistons313Shop has increased by 233% year-over-year. Cade jerseys are also Detroit\u2019s top-sellers by a wide margin, and social media posts including Cunningham have driven over 3 million engagements since the summer alone.<\/p>\n Cade has also begun to bloom as a star beyond Detroit, too.<\/p>\n It was recently announced that he\u2019ll get a signature shoe with Nike next season, making him just the sixth active player<\/a> to receive that treatment with the brand. Cunningham also appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon<\/a> this offseason, and debuted at New York Fashion Week as well.<\/p>\n DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 12: Duncan Robinson #55 of the Detroit Pistons celebrates with fans as he leaves the court following a win over the Chicago Bulls at Little Caesars Arena on November 12, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Duane Burleson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Getty ImagesFans Fired Up Around Pistons<\/p>\n As Detroit\u2019s on-court wins have corresponded with various off-court milestones, Melanie Harris, the Pistons\u2019 President of Business Operations, credits the team\u2019s dedicated fan base for their faith in the franchise:<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have devoted supporters who\u2019ve been with us throughout the journey, said Harris. \u201cAnd at the same time, the recent success and likability of our players is helping to add new fans who see the promise of this team.\u201d<\/p>\n Harris shared with Forbes that Pistons\u2019 ticket sales are up almost 30% year-over-year, and season ticket sales have grown by 50%. Detroit is No. 6 by average attendance in the NBA this year<\/a>, trailing the 76ers by just a few hundred fans for fourth overall. <\/p>\n Compare that to last season when the Pistons were No. 9 in attendance, and 2023-24 when the team was No. 20.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s TV viewership is also up significantly.<\/p>\n Harris shares that Pistons audiences have grown by 71% on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit year-over-year, with streaming viewership up 173%. On national TV, the Pistons\u2019 game against the Celtics on Nov. 26 was the high-water mark for NBA viewership<\/a> during Thanksgiving week, peaking at 3.02 million viewers.<\/p>\n Reconnecting With Traditional Identity<\/p>\n Winning helps any fan base buy in, as Harris admits. But the Pistons\u2019 is also spurred in part by winning via a reconnection to long-time fans and the long-time personality of the organization.<\/p>\n The original \u201cBad Boys\u201d Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s are iconic parts of the franchise\u2019s history rooted in a specific attitude and style of play. That was true again from 2000-08, when Detroit built the team\u2019s renaissance around the same physicality, winning a championship in 2004 and falling just short of a title in 2005.<\/p>\n This current roster and franchise philosophy also aim to follow along with that proven template.<\/p>\n