2x NBA All-Star Reveals Big Regret From Detroit Pistons Days

As a 31-year-old veteran NBA big man who has been primarily a backup for the last few seasons, Andre Drummond can look back and honestly say he’s had a successful career right now.

However, a successful career doesn’t come without regrets, apparently.

The former Detroit Pistons draft pick recently recalled the time when he was at the height of his career financially. On ‘Podcast P’ with Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, Drummond believes he didn’t do everything the right way when he was the star of the Michigan-based franchise.

“What I really realized, after all the years of being away from Detroit, was my mindset,” Drummond said.

“I was like, ‘You know, I’ve got to be this certain guy. I’ve got to play a certain way to get to that point of making a max contract.’ Once I got that max contract, I was like, ‘Oh… my work is done. I did it. I made it here. Now, I get to play however I want to play. I’m the best guy on my team, making the highest amount of money, so I get to have this leadership role.’ I don’t think I did it the right way.”

When Drummond landed on the Pistons in 2012, he was a Top 10 pick out of UConn. At 19 years old, Drummond was averaging 21 minutes on a nightly basis.

By year two, he was a full-time starter. At 22 years old, Drummond became an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.

He accomplished a lot in a little bit of time and at a very young age. While Drummond isn’t unlike a lot of NBA players who find success at a very young age, he’s one of the few to look back and admit that a few changes in mindset could’ve helped him maintain that level of success for longer.

“Not only did I not understand that that could’ve been $100 million two, three, four, or five times, but I only got it once because I didn’t maximize that time of being the max guy. If I could go back, I would’ve done it completely differently,” Drummond stated.

July of 2016 is when Drummond inked his five-year, $130 million contract with the Pistons. He would play three full seasons in Detroit on that deal before getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020. At that point, Drummond was making the transition from being the focal point of a franchise to becoming a role player.

Andre Drummond on the Piston — Feb 5, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) goes to the basket in the first half on Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (3) at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Perhaps it was a premature move that could’ve been avoided.

“I would’ve been a lot more attentive to working on my game and becoming more than just the best rebounder in the league,” Drummond concluded. “I would’ve tried to add more pieces to my game so that when the league changed, it wouldn’t have been so difficult for me to adjust.”

Despite the direction Drummond went in, his Pistons tenure can’t be forgotten. He remains one of their last All-Stars and was a four-time rebounding champion while with the organization.

Even beyond the Pistons days, Drummond adjusted well to becoming a valuable veteran from a playing and vocal leadership standpoint.

After a short run in Cleveland, Drummond had a 21-game stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021 and was traded to the Brooklyn Nets the very same year.

In 2022, Drummond inked a deal with the Chicago Bulls. After spending two seasons with the Bulls, Drummond is back in Philadelphia for a second stint.

This season, Drummond has 28 appearances. He is averaging seven points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes. Soon, the veteran big man will approach his 900th game in the NBA.

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