How “Korea Pistons Fan” found a second home in Detroit

One trip to Detroit changed this South Korean Pistons fan's life forever.

At eleven years old, Tom Hur picked up a video game controller and made a decision that would define his life.

The game was NBA Live, a popular basketball video game series in 2004. His friend selected the Lakers. Tom didn’t know which team to pick, so his friend suggested the Pistons.

At first, things were casual. His Pistons fandom lived mostly through the game controller. In real life, he found himself more drawn to Tracy McGrady.

But when T-Mac ended up signing with the Pistons on a one-year deal in 2010, something changed.

McGrady was older, injured, and nearing the end of his career — but seeing him suit up for the team Tom had adopted virtually was the ultimate fusion of his worlds.

“I decided, okay, this is fate,” Hur says. “This is gonna be my team for the rest of my life.”

That love demanded sacrifices, bound by time zones and distance. Hur was now living in the Philippines, where home games in Detroit tipped off around 8 a.m. — right when school started.

So he and his dad set up a system: his dad would record the games, and Tom would rush home after the bell rang to watch his favorite team play.

Everybody at school was a Lakers or Celtics fan. Hur had never met another Pistons supporter, and he understood why.

“Excuse my language,” he says, “but they sucked.”

But his love never wavered.

Even when he exchanged school clothes for work clothes, even when the losses piled up, even when the time difference meant watching the first half before work and sneaking off to the bathroom to catch the end — he watched every game he could.

He loved the team so much that he made his first trip to America just to see them play live. In 2023, Hur and a friend traveled to Detroit.

Unbeknownst to him, he was about to witness the beginning of history.

“I watched the first part of our historical 28-game losing streak,” he laughs.

But Hur didn’t care about the numbers on the scoreboard. There he was, finally standing in the place he’d spent the better half of his life dreaming about.

“It’s crazy because when I watch the games, I’m usually at home alone watching through my computer,” Hur says, his voice filled with joy. “But here you can actually be one with the fans. Chant with the fans, boo the refs and all. The ‘Ref, you suck.’”

Hur was captivated: by the people, by the place, by the feeling.

“I fell in love with the Pistons, and eventually I fell in love with the city of Detroit.”

A year later, Hur shared a video on social media.

Sitting alone in his bedroom in South Korea, he recorded himself watching a Pistons playoff game on his computer. Three different Cade Cunningham jerseys hung on the wall behind him.

The Pistons were on the verge of beating the New York Knicks — their first playoff win in 16 years.

“It was actually my first playoff win as a fan,” Hur says. “I felt the emotions creeping up on me. So I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I want to record this.’”

The buzzer sounded.

The same team that had lost 28 straight games just one season earlier had finally won — and Tom burst into tears. It was the first time he’d ever cried tears of joy.

He had no idea the clip would go viral, garnering millions of views, reposts, and messages from people touched by his raw emotion.

“It was kind of embarrassing because everyone saw me crying,” he laughs. “Yeah, even my coworkers saw it.”

But he didn’t really care, because he was just so happy.

“It was one of the best moments.”

His coworkers already knew about his obsession. He often wore Pistons shirts to his job at the bank. He screamed at his desk the day Detroit landed the No. 1 pick in 2021 — the pick that became Cade Cunningham.

The Pistons eventually fell to the Knicks, but the joy from that video lives on.

This season, he’d saved enough money to take another trip to America. Of course, he knew exactly where he was going.

It wasn’t only the Pistons that had enchanted him on his first visit; it was Detroit.

“It’s a beautiful city,” Hur says. “Magic. It’s very underrated.”

He made it his mission to do as much in his week in Detroit as he possibly could. He was so excited that he chronicled every moment on his Twitter account — every bite, every sight.

His posts began to catch fire among people from Detroit who found comfort in seeing their city through his eyes.

“They started noticing that there’s this Korean that’s touring around the whole city and appreciating Detroit,” Hur says. “And they started following me on my adventures.”

Suddenly, his mentions were flooded with food and activity recommendations from locals.

“I started blowing up,” Hur says.

He isn’t exaggerating. When the plane first landed in Detroit, Hur had 5,000 followers on Twitter. By the time he boarded his flight home, he had 18,000.

“I think the people of Detroit appreciated how much I appreciated Detroit.”

The online love translated to recognition in the streets. Fans bought him drinks. Restaurant owners refused to let him pay.

“They didn’t make me spend a dime, which was crazy because I didn’t want to get any free meals,” Hur says, still amazed. “I just wanted to experience Detroit.”

His recognition had no limits. Local teams invited him to games. The mayor and governor of Michigan shouted him out. He was interviewed by news channels.

Before his first game began, he even got an email from Pistons owner Tom Gores offering to buy him anything he wanted from the team store.

“I was geeking out because you cannot find Pistons gear in Korea, like, anywhere,” he says. “I shopped the hell out of the store.”

Hur was electrified when Isaiah Stewart recognized him, giddily recounting how he came over and gave him a high-five. So many fans wanted to meet him that he organized an impromptu meetup at halftime.

“I took, like, more than 100 selfies.”

They showed him on the jumbotron multiple times. The Pistons won the game. He received so many gifts he actually had to start refusing some. As he tells the story, he still sounds in awe.

“It was the best day of my life,” he says, taking a deep exhale. “It was magical.”

By the second game, he had been upgraded to court side, a local celebrity now. Reporters swarmed him, cameras followed him.

But nothing stunned him more than when Cade Cunningham — the same player who once made him scream with joy at his desk 7,000 miles away — walked over after warm-ups.

“He said, ‘Hey, I know you. It’s so good to meet you,’ and gave me a handshake.”

Hur pauses, smiling.

“It still doesn’t feel real.”

When it was time to leave Detroit, one thought filled his mind: When can I come back?

“I know that Detroit has a bad rap around the United States or maybe around the world,” Hur says. “But I don’t know why. I’ve been there twice and I loved every single moment of it.”

He says the most common messages he received were from locals simply thanking him for highlighting all of the most beautiful parts of their city.

“I love Detroit with all my heart,” Hur says. He hopes to move there someday.

What started as a random pick in a video game turned into a lifelong commitment. Along the way, he found something even greater — a community, and a place that now feels like home.