If you haven’t been following Tom Hur on social media already, you need to open the X app on your phone and give @KoreaPistonsFan a follow. 

Visiting Motown for the second time now all the way from South Korea, Pistons fanatic Tom Hur has lived out any Detroit superfan’s dream come true. Prior to the visit, Hur had built up a decent following on X from his dedication and devotion to the Pistons, so Detroit natives supplied the city’s visitor with a host of food and tourism recommendations for his time in the Motor City. 

And with a fleet of dinner recommendations at his disposal, two Pistons home games were the main course for Hur, a 32-year old from Seoul who formed a fascination with Detroit’s hoops team thanks to Tracy McGrady’s short tenure with the squad. 

"It's very unconventional because it was back in 2010," Hur said. "I was a casual fan of the NBA but my favorite player back then was, if you would remember, was Tracy McGrady and he signed a one-year contract with us at the time. I was like, 'my favorite player and my favorite team, okay, this is going to be the team for my life.' That's how it started."

Hur had already built up an affinity for both McGrady and the Pistons, so when the two combined forces for 72 games in the 2010-11 NBA season the man from Southeast Asia knew he was destined to support Detroit. What Hur did not know is that he would be met with such a warm welcome once he landed in Michigan to catch a pair of Pistons home games this week.

After settling into his accommodations, Hur ventured out to the Eastern Markets, stopped by the Motor City Cruise facility and visited Wayne State’s football field before taking a tour of the city– you guessed it– by helicopter.

Talk about a first-class vantage point of a city so rich with history that it deserved a view from the clouds. Hur had an opportunity to see Detroit from an angle that few ever get the chance to, and he followed that up with some equally rare experiences. 

Shortly thereafter, Hur was in the crowd for the Red Wings game against the Blues, and he was a first-hand witness for Detroit’s big comeback in the 6-4 victory over St. Louis. Hur was given some Wings merch while at the game, and that helped set the tone for his time in Detroit.

The next night, Hur was locked in for the Pistons home opener against the Celtics after trying his fair share of tasty Detroit-style pizza in between games. While in attendance, Hur was featured on the jumbotron, took a slew of photos with other fans and was granted an expense-free shopping trip inside the team store by owner Tom Gores. To round out the memorable time at Little Caesars Arena, Hur watched his favorite team take down the visiting Celtics in a 119-113 victory at home. 

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Before the game, Hur had a brief cameo at the baseline during shootaround, and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart showed the visitor a little love and offered up a fist-bump in solidarity. Then after the game, Hur had his very own Beef Stew jersey that he could sport in solidarity with the Pistons with near or afar, in Greektown or in Seoul. 

The next night, the Pistons had the second leg of a back-to-back scheduled at LCA, and surely Hur was in attendance for another opportunity to see his favorite team play, this time hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though the result did not favor the home squad, Hur had the chance to meet Ron Holland, Richard Hamilton, Beef Stew, Trajan Langdon, Rick Mahorn and others in what was another bucket list night as the Pistons’ guest of honor.

In a further show of hospitality from the city, Hur was invited by the Detroit Lions and the Tigers to receive a little more team gear before he heads back to South Korea, hopefully cementing Detroit as Hur’s home away from home. 

Although the Pistons split Hur’s first two games at LCA, Detroit saved its best for last– in multiple regards. Before the Pistons took on the Wizards at home last night, Hur was watching shootaround and had the chance to interact with his favorite player on this year’s team, Cade Cunningham.

Cade went on to make NBA history later that night, becoming the first player to ever record 30 points, 10 assists, three blocks and three steals without committing a single turnover in the Pistons’ 135-116 win over Orlando. Hur made his network television debut in the win as Pistons’ correspondent Johnny Kane interviewed the visitor about his fandom. 

"I'm so happy that people feel Detroit is a great place to visit and that they love me back as I love them," Hur said.

In all, Hur had an opportunity to see his favorite basketball team at a level few will ever have. The city of Detroit has embraced Hur’s Pistons enthusiasm with open arms, and the people in Motown have worked to create a week full of memories that will last a lifetime for Hur. 

The Pistons will take the court next against the Dallas Mavericks in Mexico City on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 10 pm.

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage.