National Basketball Association

Detroit Pistons make a fan's dream come true at the Palace

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Detroit Pistons made a fan’s dream come true at the “Meet the Pistons” open practice event on October 4th at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Detroit Pistons have made an annual event of their open practice. Usually scheduled after training camp concludes and before the preseason begins, it’s a great time for fans to get to know their Pistons.

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At the most recent open practice at the Palace of Auburn Hills on October 4th, both Piston Powered contributor Justin Prince and I were in attendance. While Reggie Jackson was sidelined for the practice portion of the event with knee tendinitis–which has since ruled him out of action for at least the first 15 or 20 games of the season–the whole Piston roster was present and accounted for.

Amidst the stars in the building, one more young man was on hand. That young man is Tony Smith.

Tony was born 29 years ago with a rare muscular disease called centronuclear myopathy. He is on life-support and has been on a ventilator since before his third birthday, and the condition affects every muscle in his body. He is believed to be the oldest living individual in the United States with this condition.

Tony is also a die-hard and life-long Piston fan, and the Pistons made him feel right at home at the Palace.

While the focus at this time of year is on the Pistons’ play on the floor, and hopes for the team are higher than they’ve been in years, it’s a good time to be reminded of the human element that is always at play in sports. The Pistons are excellent ambassadors to the Metro Detroit community, and Tony Smith and his family can certainly vouch for that fact.

Check out the following video courtesy of the Detroit Pistons.