The latest controversy surrounding the Detroit Pistons doesn’t involve basketball, but whether or not local fans have been calling them “Stones.” And it’s tearing social media apart.
OK, not really – but it’s still an interesting discussion.
Many Detroit basketball fans claim they have been hearing the “Stones” nickname for over 20 years. Other longtime fans say they have never heard it before. But if it indeed is a part of Pistons lore, how come so many fans say it’s not a real nickname?
First, let’s dive into the origin of this recent “controversy.”
Evan Fox, a video producer for ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and Detroit sports fan, has been claiming that Pistons fans “really call them [the Stones]” on various episodes of the show, most recently on a May 7 broadcast that featured NBA star Tyrese Haliburton and former NBA player Quentin Richardson.
Does anybody call the Detroit Pistons the STONES
😂😂😂
“We do indeed call them the Stones” ~ @evanfoxy#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/4ontsEqLig
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 7, 2026
Notably, neither Haliburton nor Richardson seemed to recognize the nickname.
Fox has been fanning the “Stones” flame on his X account throughout the NBA playoffs, and as the Pistons have improved to a 2-0 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, more people have started to argue whether “The Stones” is real or fake.
Our Pistons insider Omari Sankofa II weighed in, saying that while the nickname is “not super common,” it has “been a thing for a long time.”
“The Stones” have definitely been a thing for a long time. Heard it more in college than I did growing up. But yeah lol
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) May 8, 2026
Many commentors on that post and others claim they had never heard the nickname, while others claim they have been hearing it for decades.
Jemele Hill, former Free Press sportswriter and current writer for “The Atlantic,” believes the separation between those who have heard “The Stones” and those who haven’t starts at the border of Detroit’s city limits.
This is a two Detroit(s) question. Maybe they do that in metro Detroit, but in Detroit-Detroit … hell naw. https://t.co/Ea3HtSwnhD
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 8, 2026
Hill was born and raised in Detroit and is a Michigan State graduate, while Fox, also a Michigan State graduate, is from Williamston.
The Pistons do not use “The Stones” in any official marketing, and much of the social media conversation around the nickname has been limited to the past couple of days. But one post from nearly 10 years ago from Pistons legend Rick Mahorn has resurfaced, with Mahorn casually referring to the Pistons as “Stones.”
Stones have a lot of work to do! Like stopping dribble penetration n fouling
— Rick Mahorn (@badboyhorn44) October 27, 2016
So while your exposure to “The Stones” may depend on where you live, it has certainly existed (at least in some parts of Metro Detroit) for a while now.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Is ‘The Stones’ a real nickname for the Detroit Pistons?
