DEEEETROIT BASKETBALL.
Pistons superfan Tom Hur has screamed that rallying cry throughout the streets of his hometown Seoul, South Korea on late walks home countless times. Just recently, he was able to shout those cherished words with the rest of Little Caesars Arena throughout the Pistons three-game home stand, their first home games of the 2025-26 campaign.
Hur packed his half-filled suitcase (the other half was reserved for new Pistons gear, of course) and made the long journey to Detroit from the other side of the world to watch the Pistons' home opener against the Celtics in person, plus two more games against the Cavaliers and Magic over the same week. When he booked the trip, he never could have known that eight life-changing days were to follow.
As a longtime key member of the dedicated social media faction known as Pistons Twitter, Hur knew the staples he needed to hit. There's Sweetwater Tavern in downtown Detroit for their famous wings and Buddy's Pizza for some Detroit-style deep dish. Maybe he could even settle the debate between Lafayette and American Coney Island, the longtime restaurant neighbors and rivals, on who has the best coney dog.
He made his first trip to Detroit in 2023, but this time was different.
As he was enjoying Sweetwater’s wings for his first meal in town, a fellow patron approached with a question he’d hear many times over his stay: “Aren’t you Korea Pistons fan?”
Hur, better known to some by his @KoreaPistonsFan handle on X, was recognized for the first time as he became a cult hero across Detroit. The two ended up enjoying wings together and chatting for about an hour on all the city has to offer. Over the days to come, he would take in as much of Detroit as he could, finding a way to do more than many locals have in years.
“That was what I probably heard the most, ‘You did more than I did in my blank years here,’” Hur told Sports Illustrated in an interview. “Even the great [Pistons broadcaster] Johnny Kane said that to me. I really enjoyed every time I heard that statement, it was funny.”
That statement is accurate. Over his stay, Hur went to a Red Wings game, took a helicopter tour over the city, hit three Pistons games, tried all of Detroit’s most famous food spots, took in any landmark he could find and made a point to check out the town’s public transportation.
Tried the Detroiter at Buddy's Pizza. Please excuse my French https://t.co/0fkN6nWVmC pic.twitter.com/D8JTxRPqXo
— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) October 27, 2025
He even traveled outside the downtown area to go to a cider mill, a fall favorite in Michigan. “I never even heard the word cider mill in my life before,” he said. After his journey to Yates Cider Mill, though, he couldn’t stop thinking about their cider and donuts.
Seeing the city through Hur’s eyes made his journey easy for Detroiters to love. His social media accounts grew exponentially over his stay, even drawing the eyes of every major sports franchise and Pistons owner Tom Gores himself.
Before the Pistons’ home opener, he was doing an interview with CBS Detroit and was told to check his emails. During the interview, Hur received a note from Gores’s representatives thanking him for his support from across the world and offering a shopping spree to pick out whatever he’d like in the team store.
HUGE SHOUTOUT TO THE @DetroitPistons pic.twitter.com/lPyb5g84VF
— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) October 26, 2025
If you needed to know how big of a Pistons diehard Hur is, one of the items he picked out was a blue Caris LeVert jersey. Try finding anyone else with that jersey in Korea.
Over the three-game home stand, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart recognized Hur as he watched the team warm up from the court. He got to share moments with star guard Cade Cunningham and president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, too.
The moment I met Cade Cunningham pic.twitter.com/CHTn7A567H
— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) October 30, 2025
His infectious energy and the true joy he feels for his favorite team is a main reason Hur’s journey and newfound local fame was loved by so many. Whether it’s trying a new food, meeting a Pistons legend like Richard “Rip” Hamilton or Lindsey Hunter or even something as simple as a nice day out, he doesn’t take it for granted.
“I’m generally a person who really enjoys life,” he said. “I know how to enjoy the small things in life, I would say. When I have great food for breakfast, I enjoy that a lot. When I go out and the weather is nice, I feel happy. It’s kind of easy to make me happy, I guess. Small things make me happy, but the Pistons are part of who I am, so going to Detroit and actually watching games and going around the city that I always admired, that didn’t just make me happy. That made me, I don’t know, the happiest Korean in the world for that week.”
Hur’s friend-turned-travel guide Christopher Lau, who happens to be a Detroit-based travel influencer on Instagram and YouTube, helped ensure his pal had the best trip possible. He took Hur to some of his must-hit spots and coordinated the helicopter ride over Detroit which took them over Little Caesars Arena. Hur had to let out a “DEEEETROIT BASKETBALL” as they flew over the Pistons and Red Wings’ home, of course.
The two got to know each other through social media. As Hur’s authentic happiness stood out through his posts and their video calls, Lau finally got to see it firsthand.
“He’s a super genuine guy,” Lau told SI. “That’s the one thing that I really love about him. I noticed it right when we first connected a year ago, even on socials and we did the first video call and then hanging out with him here, going to Pistons games, running around the place and even just seeing my son interacting with him. He’s just a genuine, happy person.”
Lau was the one who took Hur to Yates and introduced him to the magic of Michigan cider mills. They picked up Lau’s son from school and headed out, but of course, Hur got recognized once more in the process. At the school pickup, one of the other parents spotted Detroit’s new local celebrity and couldn’t help but ask how his trip was.
That became all too common over the unforgettable week. At Pistons games, Hur hosted meetups at half time on the concourse for anyone that wanted to say hello. There was a line to get to him, finally connecting with so many of the folks he interacted with on the internet as he devotedly supported the Pistons over the years. He was right there in the mix during the franchise’s dreadful years, too.
Now, he gets to support an exciting young squad that’s found winning ways. The Pistons are off to a 5-2 start after they broke through and made the playoffs last season following an awful 14-win year. They took two games against the Knicks before they were ultimately defeated in the first round. Their Game 2 victory over New York was the franchise’s first playoff victory since ‘08 and Hur’s first postseason win as a fan. The moment overwhelmed him with joy and sparked tears of happiness in a video that quickly went viral on X.
In in tears man. DETROIT BASKETBALL!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/P1wqK8yen1
— Tom Hur (@KoreaPistonsFan) April 22, 2025
The city he’s admired from afar has now embraced him as one of their own. His view of Detroit was even recognized by mayor Mike Duggan and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. The Lions invited him to their game Sunday against the Vikings, but Hur wasn’t able to take additional time off from his job in banking to extend his stay. He hopes to return as a full-time resident some day if he can figure out a work visa. A game at Ford Field is high on his list for his next journey across the globe.
Hur returned to Seoul with two extra suitcases provided by the Pistons for all his new gear. It’s always nice to return home after a long trip, but this time felt different.
“I was always eager to finally get home,” he said. “Get back to my own room, get some Korean food and stuff. But this was the first trip in my life where I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want it to end. This was the first time in my life that I experienced that. That was pretty special.”
Detroit changed Hur’s already joy-filled life. And he may have just found a way to make his second home on the other side of the world better, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Meet Tom Hur, the Pistons Superfan From Korea Who Endeared Himself to the Heart of Detroit.
