DETROIT – When Mike Duggan was elected mayor of Detroit three years ago, one of the first meetings he took was with Chris Ilitch, a leader – following in the footsteps of his parents, Mike and Marian Ilitch – in Detroit’s renaissance.
Ilitch enthusiastically ran through a list of projects he wanted to bring to life, then finished by asking Duggan, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I only want one thing,” the incoming mayor replied. “I want the Pistons.”
He couldn’t have known it at the time, but he had an ally on his side.