Michigan State alums Tom Gores and Mat Ishbia are bringing their NBA teams to East Lansing. The Pistons are hosting the Suns in a preseason game at the storied Breslin Center on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the clubs announced Wednesday. The game will tip at 7 p.m.
It's the third time the Pistons have played an exhibition game on Michigan State's campus, also having done so in 2018 and 2000 -- the same year that Ishbia won a national championship on MSU's basketball team. He called it a "full circle moment" to go from being a walk-on at MSU to bringing an NBA team to the campus where he went to school and the arena where he once played.
“MSU and Coach Izzo have had an immeasurable impact on my life and my career, and I wouldn’t be where I am today, including owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, without Coach Izzo’s mentorship," Ishbia said in a statement. "I can’t wait to bring the Spartan community and Phoenix Suns together.”
Gores, a Flint-area native who graduated from Michigan State in 1985, said that he's "thrilled to bring our team and the excitement of NBA basketball to sports fans in East Lansing" and that "we welcome the opportunity to give fans an early look at our efforts to improve the team and create a foundation for delivering competitive basketball.”
It will also be a Michigan homecoming for Suns star and noted Detroit sports Devin Booker, who nearly committed to Michigan State as one of the top prospects in the class of 2014 before choosing to play at Kentucky. Booker, who just helped Team USA win Gold at the Paris Olympics, was born and raised in Grand Rapids.
Tom Izzo said that "having an NBA game on campus featuring two Spartan alums as owners shows the power of Michigan State and the talent and quality of people that come from our great University. It’s an honor to call Tom Gores a friend and everyone knows the special bond I share with Mat having coached him as a former player in our program."
Tickets for the game contest start at just $15 and can be purchased starting Sept. 10 at 10:00 a.m. by visiting www.msuspartans.com.