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From ‘Detroit Red’ to Malcolm X: The Pistons Honor a Revolutionary Legacy with New Capsule Collection

In an exclusive interview, Pistons VP of Brand Marketing and Strategy Bilal Saeed shares how the team’s new capsule collection honors Malcolm X’s Detroit roots and lasting legacy.

As we approach the midway mark of the NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are above .500 and holding down the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference. Barring any setbacks, this year’s squad—led by their former No. 1 draft pick and first-time All-Star Cade Cunningham—is in prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season. (Even more impressive, the Pistons haven’t won more than 23 games in any of the past five seasons; yet, a couple of weeks out from All-Star Weekend, they’ve already surpassed that number in the win column.) All this to say, you can’t truly appreciate where the team is at today without acknowledging the depths of basketball purgatory they’ve emerged from. 

And there’s another Detroit legend with a story that echoes a similar journey.

Most people know Malcolm X as a revolutionary leader and one of the most powerful voices for Black liberation. But you can’t fully tell his story—he was born Malcolm Little and died Malik el-Shabazz—without recognizing ‘Detroit Red,’ the hustler who strolled around The D in a zoot suit, a conk in his hair, and contagious charisma, navigating the jazz clubs, pool halls, and back alleys that shaped his early years.

Now, in honor of Black History Month, the Detroit Pistons have announced a partnership with the Malcolm X estate to launch a retail capsule celebrating the life and legacy of Malcolm X and his connection to Detroit. According to the Pistons press release, the collection, designed by Detroit artist Wesley Taylor, features six pieces: two hoodies, two t-shirts produced by DETail Threads, and two hats produced by Mitchell & Ness. Each piece in the capsule pays homage to ‘Detroit Red’ and his legacy, commemorating what would have been Malcolm X’s 100th birthday this year. 

Courtesy of Detroit Pistons

“There are a lot of people that might have misconceptions about him and don’t know as much about his connection to Michigan,” Bilal Saeed, the Pistons’ VP of brand marketing and strategy, tells BET. “My job was making sure we were being sensitive and delicate to honoring Malcolm’s legacy in the appropriate way.” 

“He was Malcolm Little, then he was ‘Detroit Red,’ he was Malcolm X, and he ended Malik el-Shabazz,” Saeed continues. “In terms of educating the masses, it’s important to understand what each of those different eras in his life meant to the overall evolution of who he became. And who he became was someone who fought for the freedom of every human, regardless of the color of your skin. 

“People have shied away from telling the story [of ‘Detroit Red’], but if you approach it through the lens that this helped him reach the point where he was fighting for the rights of all humans, then it’s a very important part of his story that needs to be told.”

Courtesy of Detroit Pistons

Perhaps the most meaningful component of the capsule is the Pistons’ contribution to the Wayne State University Malcolm X Leadership Award. This competitive award is issued annually to students to recognize their civic engagement, social activism, community empowerment work and/or civil and human rights work or related research. “Wayne State is Detroit’s college,” Saeed explains. “We explored different ways on how the Pistons could make sure we are honoring his legacy beyond this capsule… I thought this feels right in terms of something that’s rooted in helping young people push their boundaries, education, and activism.”

This capsule is a microcosm of where the Pistons are headed as an organization. The pride in playing for what many consider the Blackest city in America is evident both on and off the court. 

“We view it as a sense of responsibility and to see how people are responding to it has been amazing,” Saeed says. “And because it’s Detroit, we love to look fly. We love to represent ourselves in the fashion component, so that’s why it actually makes sense connecting the dots through a capsule like this. It’s a Detroit language that people understand.”

The capsule will be available on Feb. 7 during the Detroit Pistons HBCU/NPHC Night, on Pistons313Shop.com, and at the Detroit Pistons Team Store at Little Caesars Arena. In the meantime, head to Pistons.com/MalcolmX to check out some of the products available on Friday. 





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