Coty and Tarohn discuss the improvement of Ausar Thompson and the slow start of Duncan Robinson.
Coty and Tarohn discuss the improvement of Ausar Thompson and the slow start of Duncan Robinson.
Detroit ― The NBA boasts that it’s a global brand ― all the way, as it turns out, to South Korea.
Pistons superfan Tom Hur, who can be found on X (formerly Twitter) under the username “KoreaPistonsFan,” has been in attendance for the Pistons’ first three home games of the season at Little Caesars Arena, including Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic.
This is Hur’s second time getting to watch the Pistons in-person. He was at LCA early in the 2023-2024 season, amid their infamous 28-game losing streak.
But Hur’s fandom with the Pistons began well before Cade Cunningham was even drafted, before the Stan Van Gundy era, even before Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith.
He became a casual fan thanks to playing “NBA Live,” and he decided to fully invest when his favorite player at the time, Tracy McGrady, joined the Pistons back in 2010.
Despite the multiple losing seasons, Hur has stayed loyal to the Pistons.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Hur, 32, a Seoul resident, told The News at LCA on Wednesday night. “Last season, it felt like such a gift because we’ve been struggling as a team for such a long time.
“It’s been the craziest experience of my fan life. And I’m sure the whole city of Detroit feels the same way.
“It’s been so exciting to be a Pistons fan, right now more than ever before.”
Nothing has been more exciting for Hur and his Pistons fandom than this trip, during which he met heroes like Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, as well as George Blaha, among others.
DEEEEETROIT BASKETBALL!!!
I am the happiest Korean in the world!!! 😭
Thank you to everyone who said whatupdoe with all my heart (hope my pronunciation was correct) and the biggest shoutout to the city of Detroit and the Pistons for accepting a random fan from Korea as your own! pic.twitter.com/wmGBaHiO22
— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) October 26, 2025
Hur isn’t in town just to watch the Pistons.
Unable to truly take in what Detroit has to offer during his first visit in 2023, he has made the rounds during his several-day stay this time around ― trying seemingly every version of Detroit-style pizza, visiting several local bars, restaurants and landmarks, and even taking a helicopter tour over LCA, where he took video shouting, “Deeeee-troit Basketball!” and shared with his social-media followers, more than 15,000 on X and more than 5,000 on Instagram.
Hur took pictures outside of Comerica Park and Ford Field, near The Spirit of Detroit and the Monument to Joe Louis.
He even made it over to the Tigers’ old home, now The Corner Ballpark, home of the Detroit Police Athletic League. There, he rocked a Tarik Skubal jersey. He visited the Motown Museum, and drank Faygo and Vernor’s ― quite good pops, not soda, as he hilariously pointed out on social media. Hur took pictures on Belle Isle, in front of the RenCen, and on the new Riverwalk. He had Coney Dogs, at both Lafayette and American.
“Detroit is really beautiful, it really has the best food in the world, the best pizza especially,” Hur said. “Excluding the food culture, the people are so great. … The architecture, the beauty of the Riverfront, everything.
“It’s such a beautiful place to be (in).”
And Hur hasn’t limited his sightseeing to Detroit proper. He even made time for a trip to Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills, where he had his fill of cider and donuts.
The City of Detroit, meanwhile, has spent the week rolling out the red carper for Hur.
“They’ve been welcoming me,” said Hur, “with open arms.”
Hur, who’s spent his trip in Detroit with a perma-smile on his face, including on the Pistons’ pregame show with Johnny Kane on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit on Wednesday (he greeted Kane with a “Whatupdoe!”), was given a shopping spree at the Pistons’ team store from owner Tom Gores before the team’s home opener Sunday.
“I’m really excited,” Gores said of Hur. “That’s pretty amazing. I think it’s incredible that he’s following us the way he does. Once we found out about it, we wanted to make sure we took care of him.
“He’s all in with the Pistons. I think what is exciting as well as what’s happening with Detroit, our franchise, with the Pistons, in the vibe that’s happening. It’s exciting for Detroit.”
Said Hur, on getting word of his Pistons’ shopping spree, which he used to pick up several jerseys and more: “I checked (the email), and when I read it, I literally had like, chills going all over my body. My hair was like, rising and all, and that was special. And I’m so thankful for that experience.”
The Tigers welcomed him for a tour of Comerica Park, and gave him a swag bag that included a Skubal jersey and an orange sweatshirt. The Red Wings gave him a Dylan Larkin jersey and signed puck, and had him to a game ― the stunning, 6-4 comeback win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at LCA. The Lions invited him to Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but he’ll be back home by then.
He even got a social-media mention from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and a follow from Detroit Mayor Mikpe Duggan.
While Hur said that most South Korean basketball fans are into the bigger markets and the teams with the superstar players, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, he wants the Pistons’ brand to grow. Hur is doing his part, and now, the Pistons, looking for playoff appearances in back-to-back years, are starting to do theirs, too.
“Oh, I’m not gonna miss it for the world,” Hur, who was so excited for his Detroit trip that he got the airport five hours early (he’s heading home Friday), said of the Pistons’ next postseason berth. “I do obviously have work in Korea, so I have to plan my vacations in advance.
“But I’m going to have some vacations lined up for June this year.”
Kameron Goodwill is a freelance writer.
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