On Thursday morning the Detroit Pistons revealed their new Cecilia-inspired City Edition uniforms. St. Cecilia‘s gym, on Detroit’s westside located near Livernois and I-96, has long been a litmus test for both professional and amateur players alike. The green jersey, with white and blue stripes down the side, and the quote “Where stars are made, not born” on the bottom right corner, was first exclusively released to the Free Press. That same quote embellishes St. Cecilias’s court. Today at 10:32 am the Detroit Pistons tweeted a picture of Cade Cunningham in the newly minted jersey. The caption reads: The Saint is Live. Our 2022-23 City Edition is available now!
Why Is St. Cecilia So Important To The Detroit Pistons?
St. Cecilia’s is considered by players native to the area as the Mecca of Detroit basketball with a legacy spanning more than 50 years. The Temple, The Sanctuary, and the Jewel of Michigan Basketball are just some of the nicknames affectionately given to the gym.
Sam Washington, a gym teacher and athletic director at St. Cecilia’s in 1967 saw his hometown withered by racial astriction and rioting. With his gym empty all summer Sam set out to try and remedy both the upset in his town and the lack of students playing basketball. Washington opened his doors to the kids around the neighborhood and soon had a fledgling summer league.
But the prestige of St Cecilia’s didn’t kick off until 1974 when Dave Bing, Hall of Fame guard from the Detroit Pistons, had a contract dispute. Bing was locked out of his usual practice place for three weeks. Bing decided to go see his old pal Sam Washington. Sam got the Detroit Pistons to donate the money from Dave Bing’s fines and he used it to upgrade the floor. Dave Bing brought his teammate, rookie Jimmy Walker, Jalen Rose‘s late father, to practice at St. Cecilia. By word of mouth, the gym grew the rest is history.
Nation, what do you think about the new Green City Edition jerseys?
