DECEMBER 15 • 2022 | 33

All went well at the Detroit Pistons’ 
annual Jewish Heritage Night 
game.
Well, almost everything. 
The Pistons lost 122-112 to the 
Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 4 at 
Little Caesars Arena.
While those numbers meant 
a loss in the NBA standings for 
the Pistons, other numbers were 
positive.
There were 1,037 tickets sold 
for Jewish Heritage Night. The 
attendance was 20,008. Jewish 
Heritage Night ticket-holders made 
up a little more than 5% of those at 
the game.
Nearly three times as many 
Jewish Heritage Night tickets were 
sold this year compared to last 
year.
“We sold a little more than 400 
tickets for our first Jewish Heritage 
Night last year,” said Nikki Wald, a 
Pistons group sales executive who 
puts together Jewish Heritage 

Night.
“I attribute the increase to our 
outreach and word-of-mouth in 
the Jewish community,” Wald said. 
“Jewish Heritage Night is a team 
effort now. It’s no longer a one-
woman project.”
Many of the more than 1,000 
Jewish Heritage Night fans sat 
in groups. Among the groups 
were Frankel Jewish Academy, 
Farber Hebrew Day School, Hillel 
Day School, Temple Israel, Adat 
Shalom Synagogue, The Shul, 
and a contingent of Southfield 
residents.
“The Jewish Heritage Night 
groups were scattered around 
the arena,” Wald said. “My goal 
next year is to have everyone sit 
together. I did see a lot of (Jewish 
Heritage Night ticket purchasers) 
schmoozing before the game 
when kosher food was available 
and when they were getting their 
special Jewish Heritage Night 

T-shirts.”
Ryan Turell, an Orthodox Jew 
who plays for the Motor City 
Cruise, the Pistons’ NBA G League 
affiliate, signed autographs and 
took photos with fans as part of 
Jewish Heritage Night.
A 9-foot-tall menorah in the 
arena concourse reminded every-
one that Chanukah is on the way. 
A Klezmer band played in the 

concourse. Jewish Heritage Night 
ticket-holders shot free throws on 
the court after the game.
As for the game, the Pistons fell 
behind 40-26 after the first quarter 
and never recovered. Memphis 
star Ja Morant dazzled the crowd. 
He had 33 points, 10 assists and 
five rebounds. Saddiq Bey led the 
Pistons with 24 points. He also had 
seven assists and six rebounds.

Pistons’ Jewish Heritage Night is 
‘No Longer a One-Woman Project’

Motor City Cruise basketball player Ryan Turell signs autographs 
for fans at the Detroit Pistons’ Jewish Heritage Night game.

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