Former University of Detroit, Pistons player Cureton proud of his heritage as a son of Detroit

DETROIT — For Earl Cureton, “Detroit Basketball!” is more than just a chant at Pistons games — it’s part of his lifeblood.

From his prep days at the former Finney High School to his collegiate playing days at the University of Detroit, to his professional stint at a Piston, and now as a Titan TV analyst, Cureton has made a lasting impact in the Motor City.

“It’s great, it’s my hometown,” Cureton told Detroit Catholic. “I was born and raised here; born on Jefferson Avenue in Lakeside General (Hospital), and I’m a Detroiter. I love this city. I grew up on the east side of Detroit, and had an opportunity to play college basketball here, my high school basketball here and to play in the pros here. Now I work in the community to help the youth — it’s just been a great run.”

While Cureton loves Detroit, it is evident that Detroit loves him back — one only needs to look toward the rafters of Calihan Hall to see proof of that. 

Cureton’s No. 24 jersey was retired in a halftime ceremony during the Titans’ 76-64 victory over Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Jan. 23. Joining Cureton on the court were coaches and teammates from all levels of his career, and there were several videotaped messages shown on the scoreboard throughout the game, from luminaries such as Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving.

“There were some guys I hadn’t seen in a while,” Cureton said. “The Fullers came in; me and Tony Fuller grew up together, and some of the guys I went to junior high with — guys from the east side that grew up and I hadn’t seen in a long time, so I had a lot of people here tonight.”

Also joining Cureton was his wife, Judith, and his daughter, Sari (who arrived from Georgetown University). 

“Everybody had a great time; I think I brought a lot of people together that hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and to get together for a good occasion,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t see each other until something bad happens, and I was just glad to get everybody in the building at the same time. I just thought it was a great night.” 

Cureton’s jersey retirement was just the first of three such honors during “Champions Week” at the Catholic university on Livernois at McNichols. Two other former Titan stars were feted two days later at the game against Illinois-Chicago: Willie Green (who also wore No. 24) and Eli Holman (32).

Green sits fourth on the Titans’ career scoring list with 1,779 points. As a senior, he was the Horizon League’s Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American. He went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA.

Holman was part of the biggest turnaround in school history, as Detroit Mercy went from 7-23 in 2008-09 to 20-14 the following year and a trip to the Horizon League Championship semifinals and an eventual Horizon League Championship and NCAA Tournament bid as a senior. He is a generous contributor to the university, supplying funds for the Eli Holman Study Hall inside the Thomas and Arvie McNamara Family Student-Athlete Academic Center.

While the historic gymnasium’s rafters are starting to look crowded, it only underscores the school’s rich history on the hardwood. The three honorees joined Rashad Phillips (3), Bob Calihan (the building’s namesake, 17), Dave DeBusschere (22), Terry Duerod (42), Terry Tyler (44), Spencer Haywood (45) and John Long (50) as Titan men’s hoopsters to be honored. In addition, the home games are played on the Dick Vitale court, named for the charismatic coach-turned-broadcaster.

“We definitely have a legacy, there’s no question about it,” Cureton said. “We’ve got a history going all the way from Calihan to DeBusschere, down to Tyler and Long and me and Terry Duerod and Rashad Phillips and now Willie Green is going up in the rafters behind us. We’ve got some great players that came from here.” 

Cureton was MVP of the 1979-80 team, when he averaged 20.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He then went on to play 12 seasons in the NBA — three with the Pistons — and played on two championship-winning teams (the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers and the 1994 Houston Rockets).

In 2011, Cureton went back to the University of Detroit Mercy to complete his degree, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother.

The Titans (6-16, 4-5) played like champions during “Champions Week,” winning both games and making some headway in the Horizon League standings.

Against IUPUI, the Titans played clamp-down defense early, blocking three would-be Jaguar dunks, and set the tone out of the gate by racing out to an 11-2 lead in the first four minutes. Although IUPUI closed the deficit to 17-12, Detroit Mercy ignited and went on a 17-1 run to get some breathing room. The visitors never closed to within 10 after that.

Sophomore Antoine Davis — the nation’s third-leading scorer among NCAA Division 1 players — paced the Titans with a game-high 27 points. 

The Saturday contest against Illinois-Chicago went down to the wire, as sophomore Alonde LeGrand hit a jump shot with three-tenths of a second left to play and the Titans beat the Flames, 70-69. Sophomore Marquis Moore had a game-high 16 points, while classmates Chris Brandon had 15 and Davis added 13.

“I thought they came out and played; I was happy to see them play like that,” Cureton said. “They’ve got an opportunity to make a run; they’ve got seven out of the next nine games at home. If they can take care of their home court, they can put themselves right in the thick of the Horizon League.” 

“It was just a wonderful night,” he continued. “I hope the fans continue to come out and support the Titans. I was glad I could bring these people in here to see what we’ve got here.”