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a day ago
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Detroit's fallen stadiums: What happened to Cobo Arena?
This is Part 3 of a six-part series looking back at the arenas and stadiums that housed some of Detroit's greatest teams over the past century. Come back to every day this week for more historic Detroit sports site memories. Cobo Arena stood on some of the most historic land in Detroit and only added to that history. Allegedly built on the spot where the first French settler of the city, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, claimed the land for King Louis XIV in 1701, Cobo was constructed by the city in 1960. It was named after deceased Detroit Mayor Albert E. Cobo, who pushed for the construction of the arena as well as the convention hall attached to it. Detroit Pistons owner Fred Zollner moved his NBA franchise – newly arrived from Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1957 – from Olympia Stadium, on Grand River to the newly constructed Cobo Arena at the corner of Jefferson and Washington along the Detroit River for the beginning of the 1961-62 NBA season. The Pistons were a franchise constantly struggling to remain afloat, but Cobo wasn't the issue. In 1990, Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum wrote, 'There was something special about Cobo, an intimacy, a connection with the essence of the game (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, no fan of fans, once called those in Cobo the most knowledgeable in the league) and, above all, a kind of bad-dude charm.' The Pistons played at Cobo for 17 seasons – winning just two playoff series in nine tries – but they left after the 1977-78 when new owner Bill Davidson decided the team needed to move to the suburbs in order to draw crowds. Pistons games were regularly underattended at Cobo; in an arena that could seat 12,000, the highest average annual attendance was 7,492 in 1974-75, and wealthy suburbanites were wary to come downtown. So, the team moved to the gargantuan Pontiac Silverdome, already home to the NFL's Detroit Lions. Of the first game at the Silverdome, The Michigan Daily's Ernie Dunbar wrote, '[T]he crowd at last night's Piston game was predominantly white. … This is exactly what the Pistons hoped for when they announced their move-the financial support of the suburbs. The argument for not supporting the Pistons at Cobo was that Detroit is not safe at night. Well, now the more generally affluent suburbanites must feel that Pontiac is safe, as they turned out in record numbers to the tune of 13,688." Cobo couldn't beat numbers like that. When Davidson's widow, Karen, sold the team to Platinum Equity chairman Tom Gores in 2011, the team stayed in the suburbs. It was only in 2017 that Gores reached an agreement with Olympia Entertainment to bring the Pistons back downtown, but he wasn't bringing them back to Cobo. Cobo survived for as long as it did because of the versatility of the building. An arena attached to a convention center, Cobo could host any sort of event. The horseshoe shape of the arena and its acoustics made it perfect for concerts. Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, KISS and the Rolling Stones were just some of the names that performed there over the years. The current convention center still hosts the Detroit Auto Show each year, as it has since 1965. The arena might be most well-known for being the site of the 'Whack Heard 'Round the World,' figure skater Tonya Harding's attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event was held next door at Joe Lous Arena, but practices were held at Cobo Arena. While leaving Cobo after practice on Jan. 6, 1994 Kerrigan was hit on the right thigh with a baton by Shane Stant, an associate of Harding. The aftermath of the attack, with Kerrigan crying, 'Why? Why? Why?' was recorded by a local television crew. Stant went through the glass of one of Cobo's doors as an exit route. Harding won the U.S. title, and a spot in the 1994 Olympics, two days later while Kerrigan watched from the press box. Eventually, Cobo became less popular as a venue as downtown added sites such as Little Caesars Arena and Ford Field. In 2015, the arena was deconstructed internally and renovated to become more convention space. Today, following the sale of sponsorship rights following a review of Cobo's tenure as mayor, and a few bank mergers, it stands as Huntington Place – a testament to Detroit's appeal to tourists, if not to championship sports teams. Contact Matthew Auchincloss at mauchincloss@ The series Come back all week for our series on Detroit's fallen stadiums: July 21: Tiger Stadium. July 22: The Palace of Auburn Hills. July 23: Cobo Arena. July 24: Joe Louis Arena. July 25: Pontiac Silverdome. July 26: Olympia Stadium. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit's fallen stadiums: Cobo Arena
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
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Pistons forward Ron Holland explains where his game has grown over the summer
Pistons second-year forward Ron Holland speaks about his summer improvement July 13, 2025 in Las Vegas at NBA Summer League.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
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Detroit Pistons forward Ron Holland named to NBA's All-Summer League second team
The Detroit Pistons got a solid showing out of Ron Holland during Summer League play, and Holland now has an award to show for it. Holland was named to the NBA's All-Summer League second team on Tuesday, July 22, after a breakout performance for the Pistons in Las Vegas. Holland's 21.7 points per game were the fifth most among all players with at least three Summer League games played. Advertisement The Pistons went 3-2 in Summer League play. Holland was especially impressive showing off a re-tooled shot, knocking down seven of his 15 3-point attempts (46.7%) and nearly 77% of his free-throw attempts. Perimeter shooting was a struggle for Holland in the 2024-25 season, with the rookie making only 23.8% of his 151 3-point attempts. If Holland can become more of a consistent 3-point threat, it could add a new dimension for a Pistons offense that will likely be without guard Malik Beasley, who set the franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season (319) in 2024-25. The Pistons added free agent wing Duncan Robinson to be a perimeter threat, though Holland could potentially add defensive help on the wing in a way that Robinson might struggle with. Advertisement The Pistons initially drafted Holland with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of the G-League's Ignite, marking president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon's first draft pick. Holland played in 81 games in his rookie season but started only two games, averaging 6.4 points per game off the bench. Holland appeared in limited minutes in the Pistons' first-round playoff loss against the New York Knicks, not making a field goal and scoring nine total points over five games. He tallied more total turnovers (six) than shot attempts (five) throughout the series. You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons' Ron Holland named to NBA's All-Summer League second team
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chaz Lanier, Zakai Zeigler start for Detroit in NBA Summer League game
Five former Vols competed in the NBA Summer League on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two former Vols started on the same team with Detroit. San Antonio defeated Detroit, 96-84, at Thomas & Mack Center. Chaz Lanier started and played 16 minutes for the Pistons. He totaled 11 points, one rebound and one assist. Lanier converted 4-of-7 field goal attempts and 3-of-5 three-point attempts. He was selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft by Detroit with the No. 37 overall pick. Zakai Zeigler also started and played 12 minutes for the Pistons. He totaled six points, five steals and one assist. Zeigler converted 1-of-3 field goal attempts, 1-of-3 three-point attempts and 3-of-4 free throw attempts. He signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NBA draft. Saturday marked Detroit's final game in the NBA Summer League. The Pistons finished with a 3-2 record. More: Dalton Knecht plays 31 minutes for Lakers against Celtics in NBA Summer League Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Yahoo
6 days ago
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"He probably gets the least amount of respect out of all players in NBA history" - Charles Barkley takes issue with how Isiah Thomas is categorized by his peers
"He probably gets the least amount of respect out of all players in NBA history" - Charles Barkley takes issue with how Isiah Thomas is categorized by his peers originally appeared on Basketball Network. Isiah Thomas was not the most likable player during his active years. He never cared, because he never played for applause or approval, he played to win. And in doing so, he led the Detroit Pistons into the fire of the 1980s and early '90s with a grin that annoyed opponents and a grit that inspired his teammates. He was the architect of the Bad Boys era, a dynasty built on defense and unapologetic swagger. But what he likely didn't expect is that the identity he embraced — on behalf of a team that never tried to be loved, would shadow him well after he left the game. Judging Thomas In retirement, Thomas has often found himself on the margins of legacy discussions, excluded from lists, passed over in documentaries and frequently positioned as a footnote next to his contemporaries. It doesn't take away the fact that he is one of the greatest point guards, but his reputation continues to tell another, shaped less by stats and accolades and more by emotion and resentment. "I love Isiah…he probably gets the least amount of respect out of all the great players in NBA history," said Charles Barkley. Barkley voiced what many around the league have only hinted at over the years, that Thomas is given a raw deal when it comes to his legacy. It's not a wild claim. Thomas was the leader of one of the most dominant and most hated teams in NBA history. The Bad Boy Pistons weren't built for aesthetics. They didn't sell dreams; they sold bruises. But they won in an era dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics and they kicked the door open with defense and bruising play. When Michael Jordan came into the picture, Thomas and the Pistons frustrated him and bundled him and the Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs in three straight postseasons in '88, '89 and '90. It is perceived that a rivalry or beef has formed between the icons. The image that continues to haunt Thomas, however, is that infamous walk-off at the end of the 1991 Eastern Conference finals. With just seconds left on the clock and the Bulls about to sweep the Pistons, Thomas and his teammates left the court without shaking hands. No words and no nods, just a silent exit that quickly became interpreted as a sore-loser move. The grudge never really faded. Jordan, even in "The Last Dance" documentary, made it clear he hadn't let it go. The media echoed the sentiment. And suddenly, Isiah's omission from the 1992 Dream Team didn't feel like a snub, it felt call for calm The media fed off a supposed beef between Jordan and Thomas and it became a decade-long one which was amplified when The Last Dance was released. To Barkley, this decades-long cold war could've thawed with a simple gesture with both legends sitting together and talking. "But all they had to do to put out this brush fire is, 'Hey, we were wrong, we should have shook your hand,'" Barkley said. "You can't let this thing simmer and let the media and let all these idiots…just throw gasoline on the fire." The regret, perhaps, is not just about that one night but about how that night shaped everything afterward. Thomas has always defended his team's actions as consistent with the times. He referenced how the Celtics did the same to them in 1988, leaving without congratulations when the Pistons dethroned them. To him, it was standard protocol. But history has a way of choosing which moments to highlight and which players to forgive. Barkley's take lands as a rare show of solidarity among legends. In a league where narrative often outruns nuance, Barkley's words are a reminder that legacies aren't always shaped by talent alone. They are often rewritten by perception and who controls the mic when the dust settles. Thomas remains the only player to lead a team to back-to-back championships without another Top 50 player by his side. He beat Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Jordan in their prime, often with torn ligaments, dislocated ankles, or a target on his back. Yet somehow, it's not enough to erase the image of that story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
