Detroit, MI

Champion for Detroit youths has a special invitation for new Piston Ron Holland

Published

7 months ago

July 7, 2024

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Champion for Detroit youths has a special invitation for new Piston Ron Holland

Horatio Williams says he supports Detroit youths out of “love.” And Williams says he also loved what was revealed about new Piston Ron Holland on draft night for reasons much bigger than basketball.

“Energizer,” “explosive athlete,” “great transition finisher” and “high-motor defender” are just some of the more colorful descriptions in the many scouting reports seeking to define Ron Holland II, the Detroit Pistons’ first-round selection in the recent NBA draft.

However, shortly after Holland’s name was called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the evening of June 27, the ESPN broadcasting crew covering the draft shed light on another side of the Pistons’ incoming rookie, revealing that Holland also has creative interests and passions that transcend the game of basketball.

From Malika Andrews, ESPN’s NBA draft host, a worldwide audience was informed that the “wise beyond his years,” 19-year-old Holland enjoys playing the drums in his spare time and already has presented a camp for youths in his native state of Texas, using basketball to promote mental health and wellness. But before those facts could be completely digested, ESPN reporter Monica McNutt had her chance to stretch a microphone up to the 6-foot-8-inch Holland. Roughly 35 seconds later, the interview took an unconventional turn when Holland confirmed that Teddy Pendergrass was his “favorite artist.” That would indeed be the same Teddy Pendergrass who was one of the most popular R&B and soul vocalists during much of the 1970s and early ’80s.

And it is that eclectic and mature nature of Holland’s interests and responses that has piqued the interest of native Detroiter, Horatio Williams. Williams is a devotee of 1970s music and culture who just happens to do his best and most important work — uplifting his home town — less than 2 miles from where Holland will be playing his home games this season, at Little Caesars Arena.

“To hear some of the things that Ron Holland is passionate about, and to learn that he is already giving back, shows that Ron gets it — he understands the process,” explained Williams, creator of the Horatio Williams Foundation, which, since 2005, has helped boys and girls succeed through programming conducted at the nonprofit’s headquarters — 1010 Antietam, just east of downtown off Gratiot — in what used to be the Wayne County Medical Society building. “In the game of life, just like in basketball, there is a process to being successful that is bigger than the game. Identifying your passions outside of your sport is important. And then for all athletes, at the end of the day, it should be all about giving back. That’s how you win in life.”

Basketball analogies come naturally for Williams, who earned his stripes in the game while growing up in Detroit, which included being among the top 40 players in the city that comprised the 1986 Detroit Free Press All-PSL/Detroit teams during his senior year at Osborn High School. While rising up in the game during an era when the Detroit Public School League routinely sent student-athletes to major college basketball programs and the NBA, Williams says he and other young players in Detroit had something going for them that makes him particularly interested in professional athletes that join Detroit teams today.

“In my day, growing up as a young player, we had local professional players that came into the community,” said Williams, who pointed to “Big” Bob Lanier, selected by the Pistons with the first overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft; Spencer Haywood, state champion at Pershing High School, 1968 Olympic gold medalist and 1969 All American at the University of Detroit before his trailblazing entry into the American Basketball Association and then the NBA, and George Gervin, a star at King High School and Eastern Michigan before starring in the ABA and NBA. On Wednesday, Williams defined his ideal Detroit sports community as a place where every resident, especially young people, would be able to identify at least five players on each of the city’s pro sports team based on actual contact with the players in the community. “Gervin would even come back to the Butzel Center (on Detroit’s east side),” Williams added. “And when we saw that these great players were a part of our world, that gave us hope that we could succeed too.”

The seeds planted in Williams as he witnessed future Hall of Famers give back to his city and neighborhood would come to fruition a few decades later. After recovering from being hit by a drunken driver while riding a bike, which ended his college basketball career at Tuskegee University before it started, Williams, as an operator of a nonemergency medical transportation company, made a financial and personal investment in the former Butzel Elementary Middle School. His generosity, about five years before he created his foundation, included renovating the school’s gymnasium and providing food and clothing to a few students in need, at a school where Williams had been nurtured as a student.

Given his own dramatic journey, Williams said Wednesday morning that he believes athletes on Detroit’s sports teams still have an important role to play in the community. And that he would love to make his pitch to as many local professional athletes as possible, such as Holland, who Williams said he already views as a kindred spirit of sorts.

“First, I would love to have a sit-down session with him and just listen to some real music,” said Williams, who hopes to see Holland play basketball in person soon during the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas. “To hear that he likes Teddy Pendergrass says something, because Teddy Pendergrass and Marvin Gaye were talking about the times they lived in. Teddy Pendergrass (with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes) was saying: “Wake Up Everybody” and Marvin Gaye was asking: “What’s Going On.” Then they both sang about love, so what’s not to like about that?”

But even better than trying to say hello to Holland during the busy Summer League schedule, which, for the Pistons, will consist of five games at the Thomas & Mack Center between July 12-22, Williams would like to extend an invitation to Holland and the community to check out the last day of a Summer Performing Arts Camp presented by the S.O.N.G. (Saving Our Next Generation) Project that will take place Monday through Friday, July 15 through Aug. 1, at Williams’ 1010 Antietam building, before moving over to the Music Hall for the final day on Aug. 2.

“That final day of the camp at the Music Hall will include a special drumline performance, so I would love for Ron Holland to see that as a new member of our team and community. And it will take place after the Summer League is over,” said Williams, who reported that the entire camp is being conducted by S.O.N.G. founder and CEO Carles Whitlow, someone Williams took pride in mentoring when Whitlow was a young man. “There’s dancing, singing, acting; everything for boys and girls, including disabled young people. For the drumming, some of the kids will come in not even knowing anything about drums and a transformation will take place. The camp is just a great program and it’s an honor to have it at our building for three weeks because Carles and the kids just really do their thing.”

The excitement in Williams’ voice as he spoke about an event that was still more than 10 days away could not be denied, and he believes that community events and community engagement in general can have a lasting positive impact that can be carried over to other areas of life, even a basketball court.

“When players have a connection to the community, I think it really does impact how they play on the court,” said Williams, who also has become a familiar face at the Wayne State Fieldhouse, where he takes girls and boys to see the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, play home games. “When I get tickets to see our G League team play, I make time to talk to the players, and before the game they all come by and dap me up.

“It’s not just a game, it’s about building relationships for the players and the community. Especially at this time of year in the NBA, with all the trades and changes taking place, you see that the NBA is a business. But it can be more for the players that are connected to the community. It’s a part of the process that can make a difference for the player and the community.”

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber.

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Detroit Tigers’ Prospect Pool Receives Immense Respect in Latest Rankings

Published

6 hours ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Tigers’ Prospect Pool Receives Immense Respect in Latest Rankings

Earlier this week, Baseball America released its new Top 100 prospect list for 2025, and five Detroit Tigers players made the list.

That’s an impressive haul that few teams could match. But, after the release of the Top 100, the site also released a list of every player from every team that received at least one vote for the Top 100.

The Tigers had an eye-popping 11 players receive at least one vote.

The five players that received enough votes to make the Top 100 where pitcher Jackson Jobe (No. 3), outfielder Max Clark (No. 22), infielder Kevin McGonigle (No. 23), shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 60) and catcher Thayron Liranzo (No. 69).

Who are the other six prospects? They included catcher Dillon Dingler, shortstop Franyerbrer Montilla, infielder Jace Jung, right-handed pitcher Jaden Hamm, catcher Josue Briceño and shortstop Trey Sweeney.

Three of those prospects are already in the Majors and figure to make the opening-day roster. Dingler reached the Majors in July and served as a backup catcher last season. He slashed .167/.195/.310/.505 with one home run and 11 RBI.

Sweeney was part of what the Tigers received in the Jack Flaherty trade, with Liranzo being the rest of the haul. He made his MLB debut in August and became the starting shortstop, where he slashed .218/.269/.373/.642 with four home runs and 17 RBI.

Jung was also called up by the Tigers in August to take over at third base. The 2022 first-round pick slashed .241/.362/.304/.665 in 34 games with the Tigers.

Hamm has quickly become a respected member of the prospect pipeline after he was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Middle Tennessee. Last season at High-A West Michigan he went 5-4 with a 2.64 ERA in 24 games, as he struck out 122 and walked 31 in 99 innings.

Briceño is a Venezuela native who is just 20 years old but already has three years of pro baseball under his belt. Injuries limited him to just 40 games at Class-A Lakeland, but he slashed .278/.381/.377/.758 with two home runs and 22 RBI. He also played in the Arizona Fall League.

Montilla, also from Venezuela, is just 19 years old and is coming off a 2024 season that ended at Lakeland in which he slashed .226/.374/.362/.736 with six home runs and 30 RBI.

Many of these prospects will be at spring training later this month.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Lakeland, Fla., on Feb. 12. The rest of the roster will report on Feb. 17. Detroit will open its spring training schedule with a home game against Philadelphia on Feb. 22 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.

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Detroit, MI

Removing, resizing: What changes to expect in redevelopment of Detroit’s Renaissance Center

Published

16 hours ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Removing, resizing: What changes to expect in redevelopment of Detroit’s Renaissance Center

DETROIT – The upcoming redevelopment of the Renaissance Center was discussed at the 2025 Detroit Policy Conference.

On Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, Jared Fleisher, with Rock Family of Companies, and David Massaron, with General Motors, discussed the redevelopment. Brad Williams, with the Detroit Regional Chamber, moderated.

According to a release from the Detroit Regional Chamber, the panel explained why the building is considered a cultural icon of Detroit. The Renaissance Center was built with the intention of being closed off from the city, which sparked the conversation about redevelopment.

Massaron said GM needed a new center for the company of Detroit, which was the Hudson Building, and an expert in redeveloping the Renaissance Center. In the end, they decided to partner with Bedrock.

Main changes to expect at Ren Cen

Here are the main changes to expect, according to Fleisher:

Resizing the Renaissance Center and making it open and accessible to everyone creates a welcoming environment for anyone visiting.
Remove the podium to reconnect downtown to the Detroit RiverFront.
Remove two office towers and replace them with a signature park, open to the public for anyone from anywhere.

Fleisher said there will be a hotel, apartments, and affordable housing. These changes will make it a “navy pier-like family-friendly entertainment destination to drive economic growth.”

—> What we know about plan to make major changes to Detroit’s Renaissance Center

Renaissance Center and Detroit Riverfront Redevelopment Vision (Bedrock and General Motors)

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Detroit, MI

Pistons encounter rare road block in loss to Magic

Published

24 hours ago

January 26, 2025

Press Room

Pistons encounter rare road block in loss to Magic

Orlando — The Detroit Pistons have proven to be one of the top road teams in the league this season, with several contributing factors.

Cade Cunningham headlines a group of players who have made significant individual improvements while aligning with the team’s embrace of the “Detroit versus everybody” mentality. Every time they step onto an opponent’s home court, coach J.B. Bickerstaff attributed the team’s togetherness and strong relationships to its success on the road.

“The benefits include being with the group,” Bickerstaff stated while discussing the advantages of an extended road trip. “There are not any of the other distractions. When you are in the hotels, you go to lunch together. You go to dinner together — you go to practice and lift weights together. It gives you an opportunity to bond and become even tighter. When you are on the road, that is what you need and how you become successful.”

Saturday’s contest against the Orlando Magic positioned the Pistons in the latter half of their season-longest five-game road trip. However, despite their success away from Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons fell 121-113 at Kia Center. The loss ended Detroit’s four-game road winning streak and dropped their overall record to 23-22.

Six players scored in double figures, with Cunningham leading the way with a game-high 35 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons received a significant boost from rookie Ron Holland II. In 15 minutes, he scored 13 points and pulled down four rebounds. Holland’s contributions coincided with those of Ausar Thompson, who added 16 points, five rebounds, four steals and a block amid a season-high 29 minutes.

“I feel great; it feels good to have reached almost the 30-minute mark,” Thompson said. “I feel great. I feel conditioned. However many minutes they need me to play, I’ll be ready to play.”

Despite the loss, the Pistons showcased their close-knit chemistry during the first quarter. After a sluggish start by both teams, Detroit began to surge halfway through the period, taking a 30-18 lead into the second quarter. They began the night shooting 43.5% from the field and hitting four of eight 3-pointers.

Injuries have derailed the Magic’s once-promising season. They entered the night on a five-game losing streak, having dropped seven of their last eight. Coach Jamahl Mosley has used his preferred starting lineup for the sixth time this season due to the ongoing injuries of Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner’s extended absences.

BOX SCORE: Magic 121, Pistons 113

Banchero led the Magic with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists and was vital in Orlando’s comeback during the first half. He scored 11 points in the second quarter and was essential in the Magic outscoring the Pistons 25-12 in the final six minutes. By intermission, they held a 54-53 lead.

Banchero missed the first two games against Detroit due to a torn oblique. His third triple of the game gave the Magic an 84-81 lead early in the fourth quarter, igniting a 20-4 run.

Wagner (32 points, seven assists and four rebounds) appeared in his second game after returning from his respective oblique injury. His 3-point field goal at the 9:11 mark of the fourth quarter extended the Magic’s lead to 93-83. He scored 25 points in the final period. Orlando also saw the return of Suggs (eight points), who missed the last 10 games due to a back injury.

Frustration reached a breaking point midway through the fourth quarter when Bickerstaff received consecutive technical fouls, resulting in his ejection at the 6:01 mark. Detroit finished with four technical fouls.

“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Bickerstaff said. “But I thought there were some moments where we shot ourselves in the foot when we had momentum going. We got outside of ourselves. These games against teams like this are going to be extremely physical. We understand that. We are good with that. Just make sure we maintain the physicality and do not allow the officials to become a part of the game because we take it too far.”

Observations and Notes vs. Magic

▶ Magic earns tie-breaker over Pistons: With this loss, the Pistons lose the regular-season series against the Magic 2-1, losing the tie-breaker.

▶ Harris and Suggs get into a minor altercation: At the 8:55 mark of the first quarter, Tobias Harris was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 1 following a brief altercation with Suggs. The incident occurred when Suggs intentionally collided with Harris during a change of possession. Harris reacted to Suggs’ aggression by shoving him to the floor. However, the Magic did not prosper from Suggs’ actions; he missed both free throws and committed a turnover during Orlando’s offensive possession.

▶ Head injury for Tobias Harris: Harris’ night ended early after he suffered a head injury. Two minutes into the third quarter, he was struck in the jaw during a shot attempt by Banchero. Bickerstaff substituted Harris after he fell to the floor. Following a quick evaluation from the team doctors, Harris walked to the back and did not return.

▶ A tough night for Stew: Isaiah Stewart faced a challenging game in Orlando. The physical nature of the match led to foul trouble for Stewart in the first half, limiting his usual impact off the bench. He also found himself in multiple altercations with several players from Orlando.

Up next

The Pistons will travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Monday night. They will then close the road trip in Indiana on Wednesday when they will face the Pacers. Tip-off between the Pistons and Cavaliers is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Coty.Davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24

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