12-Year NBA Veteran Speaks on Detroit Pistons’ Identity

12-year NBA veteran-turned-head coach Willie Green spoke on the Detroit Pistons' identity.

Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green coaches against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans were the last squad to pay a visit to the Detroit Pistons. Over the weekend, former NBA veteran and Pelicans head coach Willie Green caught up with reporters before the game and discussed the recent emergence of the Pistons.

The Detroit-born head coach is happy for the Pistons, and Detroit sports in general, for finding some level of success all at once.

“This has always been a big-time sports town,” Green told reporters.

“Detroiters, they love to root on their teams. Teams here take on the identity of the city. You know, hard-nosed, hard-working, like to have a good time, but when you show up to a game, they like to compete at a high level. It’s kind of woven in the DNA here in Detroit. It’s always good to come back and play against these teams.”

Pelicans coach Willie Green is from Detroit. I asked him what it meant for him as a native of the area to see the revival of Detroit sports pic.twitter.com/Hl5lV3x2l2

— Eric Vincent (@IAmEricVincent) March 23, 2025

Green’s basketball career is rooted in Detroit. He attended Detroit Mercy from 1999-2003 before becoming a second-round pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. While Green was called on by the Seattle SuperSonics, he ended up starting his career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philly was a seven-year run for Green. He then had short-term stints in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Orlando. During his first year out of the NBA, he was right back in it as a coach, joining the Golden State Warriors’ staff.

In 2021, Green joined the Pelicans as the head coach. While the Pelicans haven’t found much success, New Orleans has had more playoff relevancy than Detroit since Green took over. During his first season in charge, the Pelicans lost in six games during the first round in 2022.

After missing the playoffs the next season, the Pelicans made it to the first round in 2024. They were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder. At this point, the Pelicans are potentially headed for a rebuild right when the Pistons are turning things around.

Following Sunday’s Detroit win over Green’s Pelicans, the Pistons improved to 40-32. They are sitting comfortably in the sixth seed, bound for the playoffs for the first time since 2019.