It’s been almost 40 years since the Detroit Pistons played a NBA game inside of the Detroit City limits. But last night, the Pistons faced off against the Charlotte Hornets to open the season in their new arena—inside the city of Detroit. Detroit native Eminem was there to do a little hype work to start the game and the crowd loved it.
Detroit loves Eminem and he hasn’t hurt his standing by publicly eviscerating our white supremacist in chief, Donald Trump. Also there, another popular music celebrity—Kid Rock. As Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press explains, Detroit has a lot less love for his brand of lame “economic anxiety.”
A few moments later, the videoboard showed Kid Rock, who was sitting courtside, and who got booed where Eminem got cheered.
The difference didn’t go unnoticed by Van Gundy, who noted after the game Eminem’s appearance — in front of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was there to pay homage to the Pistons’ new home — said plenty.
”Without making a statement, they were able to make a statement,” said Van Gundy.
Maybe photo-ops with fellow cultural blackholes Ted Nugent and Sarah Palin isn’t doing it for people anymore, Kid.