DETROIT – Nov. 19, 2024 – The Detroit Pistons were selected today as a winner of Front Office Sports 2024 Most Impactful Award, powered by Sports Innovation Labs. The Most Impactful Award recognizes organizations and companies that have used the power and platform they possess to make an impact outside of driving revenue and growing their businesses, understanding that they must invest in the people, communities and causes around them to reach their full potential.
Front Office Sports (FOS) spotlighted the Pistons as an example of how professional sports teams can serve as catalysts for urban revitalization and civic engagement in their home communities. FOS highlighted the “Future of Health: Detroit” project, a transformative $3 billion partnership between Henry Ford Health, Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons and Michigan State University that aims to reshape Detroit’s New Center neighborhood into a vibrant, walkable community anchored by state-of-the-art health-care facilities and a mixed-use development. They also highlighted Mr. Gores’ $20 million commitment to fund a new community center at Rouge Park/Brennan Pool. City officials have said the Cody-Rouge community suffers from a lack of indoor recreation facilities and is the only current district in the city without an indoor community center. The new facility will serve a population that includes more than 24,000 residents within a 1.5-mile radius.
The organization’s dedication to civic progress extending to criminal justice reform was recognized, evidenced by the Pistons’ Second Chance Summit partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other local organizations, which helped more than 150 formerly incarcerated residents clear their records and access new housing opportunities and employment. The publication also highlighted the club’s civic leadership through comprehensive voting initiatives, becoming the first NBA team to offer its practice facility for election purposes and engaging employees as election workers, their six-year – $2.5 million refurbishment of 60 basketball courts in 44 Detroit parks and the organization’s creation of the Pistons Youth Council.
The Pistons were selected based on an application process that was reviewed by Sports Innovation Lab analysts, identifying key initiatives and activities that are designed to make a lasting and material impact on local communities. The categories considered in the process were DEI Initiatives, Youth Sports Programs, Education Programs, Voter Registration and Voter Access Programs, Community Outreach and Foundation Work and Charitable Fundraising. Responses were carefully evaluated and scored, and the final selections represent those organizations that are redefining sports’ role in society by matching bold commitments with measurable achievements. Eligible organizations included teams, leagues, brands, and agencies working in professional, collegiate, or youth sports.
To view a complete list of Front Office Sports’ 2024 Award winners, visit Most Impactful 2024 Winners – Front Office Sports.
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About the Detroit Pistons
Since their arrival in 1957, the Detroit Pistons have become one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. With over 2,500 regular-season and playoff victories, the club has celebrated three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), five NBA Finals appearances (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005) and 11 Eastern Conference Finals appearances. In October 2019, the club opened the new Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center located in the New Center area, a campus that serves as the organization’s practice facility and corporate headquarters. Since its purchase by Michigan native Tom Gores in 2011, the organization has focused on operating as a community asset while promoting a culture of innovation and industry-leading thought.
