Jaden Ivey's ties to Detroit run deep. So do his loyalties to the Pistons, even though the fifth overall pick has yet to play a game for his new team.
"As a young kid, I never thought I’d be drafted to the Pistons," Ivey said Monday, "but always was a big fan of them."
Ivey was raised in Indiana, but a big piece of him grew up in Detroit. He'd spend summers here with his grandfather, James Hunter, a star defensive back for the Lions. He remembers those car rides fondly, when Hunter would pick him up in South Bend and young Jaden would "be so excited to go to Detroit."
Ivey's grandmother still lives here. His father was born and raised here, a football star at Detroit Country Day before he made it to the NFL himself. His mother played for the Detroit Shock of the WNBA.
"To be here with this organization with the ties I have and everything that I’ve been through growing up, I always loved Detroit, so I want to be a Piston for life," Ivey said. "That’s for sure. It runs deep. Every single day, I wake up and just try to rep the city well with that pride on my back."
Troy Weaver and the Pistons are equally committed to Ivey. They envision him as Cade Cunningham's co-star for several years to come, and eventually a key cog on a perennial championship contender. He is a rock of their restoration, which still has a ways to go. Ivey was six years old when the Pistons last won a playoff game, two when they last won an NBA title.
He'd like to end those droughts as soon as possible. Asked about his personal goals this season, the 20-year-old Ivey said, "The biggest thing, just as a team, is trying to get to the playoffs this year."
"That’s the main goal that we want. We want to make the playoffs and we want to win a lot of games this year. I really don’t have anything else in my mind but winning," Ivey said.
Related
It should happen in time. Between Ivey and Cunningham, who just turned 21, the Pistons have the makings of one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Ivey smiled at the idea of playing next to last year's first overall pick and said, "It's going to be fun, it’s going to be energetic and it’s going to be special." The feeling is mutual. Cunningham said Monday that Ivey's speed will make the game "a lot easier for everybody" on the floor.
"He has a great feel for the game and he wants to win," Cunningham said. "I think that’s something that's easy to see. He wants to play through his team and he loves to share the ball. Those are things you love to see in someone who’s joining the team."
"And obviously his athletic ability, his quickness, his speed will help us stretch out the floor a lot more and keep defenses honest. He just brings a different dynamic to our team with his athleticism and skillset, so I’m super excited to take the floor with him."
For Ivey, it can't come soon enough.
"Man, Detroit is home for me," he said the night of the draft. "I'm going to go all out for the fans, for the organization and for my teammates. I’m going to give it my all and bring Detroit back to winning."