AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Legendary Detroit Bad Boys sixth man Vinnie Johnson is expanding his automotive business, bringing new investment and jobs to the site where The Palace of Auburn Hills once stood.
Johnson, known to Pistons fans as “The Microwave,” toured a new “Piston Automotive” facility on Tuesday (April 28) afternoon.
Piston Automotive, which is his company, will operate out of a General Motors-owned building at the former Palace site, where Johnson helped win two NBA championships (1989-1990) during his playing career with the Bad Boys.
The facility will support GM Orion Assembly operations by supplying components for the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Cadillac Escalade.
It is expected to create about 400 jobs in the area, which suffered economic losses after The Palace closed and was later demolished.
The new plant will heavily utilize automation and spans roughly the size of 120 basketball courts.
Production is expected to begin in early 2027.
Johnson said the project carries personal meaning, connecting his basketball legacy in Detroit with his post-playing career in business and manufacturing.
He was joined at the site by former Pistons teammate James “Buddha” Edwards, who also works with the company.
Edwards said it was meaningful to see continued development at the former Palace site and praised the expansion efforts.
The NBA champions also discussed the Detroit Pistons’ playoff series during interviews with Local 4 ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal Game 5 inside Little Caesars Arena.
Johnson expressed optimism that the team still had a chance to advance, while Edwards said improved shooting would be critical and emphasized that the offense could not rely solely on Cade Cunningham.
Despite the team’s 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series, The Microwave and Buddha said they believed Detroit remained capable of mounting a comeback.
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