In his first handful of years after college, all Max Unger wanted was for someone to give him a break, a way into the world of basketball.
Now, he’s the one handing out the breaks, helping keep hoops hopes dreams alive.
After one season as the assistant general manager for the Detroit Pistons’ G League team, the Motor City Cruise, the 31-year-old Huntington Woods native was promoted to the top chair, named general manager of the four-year-old affiliate earlier this week.
“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to build on the success of the Motor City Cruise and lead our players, coaches and staff members with the same values and principles established by (new Pistons president) Trajan Langdon and his team this offseason,” Unger said in a news release. “We look forward to a successful upcoming G League campaign and supporting the Detroit Pistons with the growth and development of our players.”
He replaces Ben Carloni, who moves into the Pistons’ front office as director of basketball administration, after two years at the helm of the Cruise braintrust. The two coordinated to swing a trade with the Osceola Magic that brought back former Michigan guard Zavier Simpson, who set franchise records for total points scored (938) and assists (388). They also collaborated on the acquisitions of Sam Peek, Nathan Knight, Devon Higgs and Jayce Johnson, as the Cruise — who finished 16-18, ninth in the G League’s Eastern Conference, and made the G League Showcase Tournament — tied for the league lead in call-ups to the NBA, with five.
It’s been a quick rise for Unger, who graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies in 2015, and a master’s degree in management from the Ross School of Business a year later, then spent the next few years trying to break into professional basketball.
“I worked in the financial industry for four years out of college. The whole time, I was doing projects on the side, talking to as many people as I could, to find a way to break into basketball,” Unger said in an interview with The PreP in November 2023. “I got very fortunate, but luck doesn’t necessarily happen if you’re not trying. … I felt very lucky to find an opportunity in San Antonio and now to be here with the Pistons, it’s amazing.”
Unger’s first break in the NBA was with the San Antonio Spurs, as a basketball operations quality assurance assistant in 2019-21, then spent a year with the Pistons as a college scouting coordinator in 2021-22, before joining the Cruise last year.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to get to work in basketball, as it is, and to be doing it for the team that … the reason I fell in love with basketball is those early 2000s Pistons, so it’s very special to be a part of this,” Unger told the PreP. “Getting a chance to build relationships with people who are trying to become the best at what they do, getting to work with our coaches and our players, and aid in their development, whatever it is, is a really unique thing, and I don’t take that for granted. That’s the thing I’m trying to do, is just help them in whatever way I can.”
The Cruise will host local player tryouts — which have netted them players like Peek and Malique Jacobs in the past — at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center on Saturday, Sept. 14, followed by the G League Draft on Oct. 26.
Originally Published: August 28, 2024 at 7:00 AM EDT