Presumptive Pistons Owner Tom Gores before last night's game against the Cavaliers at the Palace of Auburn Hills met with Detroit media and "touched upon several themes," according to Vince Ellis of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Gores, in town "for meetings this week to begin the transition process," said that he "wants to make late Pistons owner Bill Davidson proud." Gores also was "very respectful of Davidson’s widow, Karen Davidson." He said that he "wants to make a difference in helping Detroit overcome its economic struggles." But above all else, he "wants the Pistons to return to their winning ways." He said, "I’m excited. Excited is not exactly the right word; I’m ecstatic." Gores will be introduced to the NBA BOG's finance advisory committee Thursday at the owners meetings in N.Y., but a vote on his purchase "isn't expected then" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/12). Gores said, "We're going to learn first. We're not in decision-making mode. Are we afraid of change? Absolutely not; we're ready for change. Sometimes you need change, but we're going to learn right now, and there's a great, deep organization here that came before us, and we need to make the most out of that" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/12).
MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE: In Detroit, Gregg Krupa notes when Gores was publicly introduced during the second quarter of last night's game, Pistons fans "cheered as loudly as they had since the struggling home team took the court." Gores and his staff "had a considerably higher profile behind the scenes." A "number of them met and greeted members of the Pistons and Palace staff, and employees buzzed with word that their prospective new boss and his team already were active." Gores, who lives in Beverly Hills but maintains a residence in Michigan, said, "I'll be whatever owner this team needs and this franchise needs. So when they need me back in Michigan, I'll be back" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/12).
