Never underestimate the power of a fan — a Detroit fan, that is.

After a man called in to express his disdain over the Detroit Pistons uniforms, the team went back to the drawing board and created a whole new look.

The Request

“In November 2020, we received this voicemail from a Pistons fan,” said the team in a tweet accompanied by a promotional video featuring the audio from that moment.

The caption read, “Even a random voicemail from a fan can make a statement.”

“Man we are so tired, I mean it’s time to ramp it up, We rebuilding, we need some new jerseys,” said the fan in the voicemail. “We need some more vivid colors man. We here for Detroit, give us some dog a** Black and blue. I don’t know. Just give us somethin’. I am one of the biggest fans. My name is Cochise Hardy. Hey, who do I need to talk to? Call me back. Today. Tomorrow. Call me back. I’m ready. Call me back.”

The Voicemail That Changed Everything

In the ad, the Pistons said, “You called. We answered.” It looks like that voicemail was the push the organization needed to revamp its uniforms.

“There was something special about this voicemail that was worthy of pursuing further,” said Tyrel Kirkham, VP of brand and marketing strategy for the Detroit Pistons.

A Fan's Impact

“It found its way to a larger audience,” said Kirkham. “We laughed, but there was a serious nature based on what he was saying, knowing that we were starting the ‘restoration’ on the court, and the way we look and feel is equally important. A ton of inspiration was spurred from a simple voicemail.”

Out With The Old, In With The New

No longer will Piston players sport their legendary chrome suits. The team issued the first look at their Statement Edition jerseys that are black and bold, including “DET” in big block lettering stitched across each player’s chest.

The blue and red stripes underneath the letters are a nod to the Bad Boys era warm-up jackets sported by players in the 1980s.

A New Era

The new Statement Edition jerseys are set to be worn by Pistons players for at least two seasons. There will also be an option to renew the look in the forthcoming seasons.

Along with that, the Pistons will also release another set of jerseys designed in collaboration with Detroit rapper Big Sean. As previously reported by AfroTech, the “Bounce Back” emcee was named the team’s creative director of innovation in 2020.