Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has never shied away from repping the Motor City, and on Sunday, he was right in the thick of it. Campbell sat courtside at Little Caesars Arena to watch the Detroit Pistons battle the New York Knicks in Game 4 of their playoff series — a game that ended in gut-wrenching fashion as the Pistons fell 94–93.
The game may not have ended the way Detroit fans hoped, but Campbell walked away with a deep appreciation for what the Pistons are building.
Grit Recognizes Grit
“It’s unbelievable,” Campbell told Kory Woods MLive after the game. “And the fact that, man, the Pistons came back and really turned around what they’re doing and the style at which they play. They’re tough. They’re physical, man. They play defense. They’re gritty. They don’t give up.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The grit-first mentality Campbell has instilled in the Lions has become a blueprint across the city — and the Pistons are proudly following it.
A Shared Identity in the City of Detroit
The bond between Detroit’s pro teams continues to grow, and it’s more than just social media shoutouts or players showing up at each other’s games. It’s cultural.
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart has trained with the Lions in the offseason and said last year that the Pistons drew inspiration from the Lions’ physical, team-first mentality under Campbell’s leadership.
Campbell didn’t take those words lightly.
“Yeah, I mean, it makes you feel pretty good, man, because we believe in what we do,” he said. “And we also believe that when you play here in the city of Detroit, it means something special.”
The way Detroit’s teams play is becoming part of the city’s identity — tough, physical, blue-collar, and built to earn everything the hard way.
A Tough Loss, But a Shared Belief
While Sunday’s loss hurt — and likely ended the Pistons’ playoff hopes — Campbell believes it’s all part of the bigger picture.
“Fans are unbelievable and, man, it’s a tough loss, but they’re going to grow from that,” Campbell said. “No different than we did.”
It’s a nod to what the Lions went through just a couple years ago. From league-wide afterthoughts to division champions and a 15–2 record in 2024, the Lions proved that tough lessons now can lead to greatness later.
The Bottom Line
Detroit’s teams may wear different uniforms, but they play for the same city, the same people, and the same identity. Dan Campbell sees it. Isaiah Stewart lives it. And Detroit fans? They’re loving every gritty, hard-earned second of it.
