​Hartford, Connecticut may be Rick Mahorn’s hometown, but Detroit has his heart. The original Pistons’ “Bad Boy” has worn many hats in basketball—player, coach, broadcaster—and now he’s back in coaching, leading Detroit’s BIG3 team, the Detroit Amps. “The city has always been good to me, I figured I have to give something back,” Mahorn said about returning to represent Detroit. “The fact is that I made Detroit home and one thing about Detroit, it’s always going to love me and I’mma love Detroit.”
Mahorn spent 18 NBA seasons and won the 1989 championship with the Pistons. After retiring in 1999 as a Philadelphia 76er, he began his coaching career with the Atlanta Hawks, and the coaching phase never faded. He served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Shock for four years, helping them win two championships, and eventually moved up to the head coach position before the franchise relocated. Years later he joined the BIG3 when it launched in 2017 as the head coach for the Trilogy and captured the league’s first-ever championship, along with the inaugural Coach of the Year Award. He recently returned to coaching in the BIG3 with the Amps.
Alongside his love for coaching, his connection to the Pistons has always been central. Between coaching roles, he worked as a color analyst for the Pistons radio network, marking his 20th season in that role. “It keeps calling me back, but what I love about coaching is that you have to ‘each one, teach one,’” Mahorn said. “Someone taught me as a coach, which kept me on the straight and narrow, making sure I stayed positive about what I do for a living, but basketball opens up so many avenues.”
The BIG3, founded by Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz, launched its inaugural season in January 2017 with eight teams. It expanded to 12 teams in 2019 but later trimmed back to eight, introducing new cities and logos. Detroit joined the rebrand as the Detroit Amps, also known as the Detroit Amplifiers, and they joined the league last season. Although this isn’t Mahorn’s first experience coaching in the BIG3 or coaching Detroit basketball, it is his first season with the Amps after taking over from former coach and Hall of Famer George Gervin. Mahorn has remained closely connected to the Detroit fan base, and coaching on Detroit’s side for the Amps is a meaningful homecoming for him. “What they do to me is keep me young. You think you’re getting old, and the next thing you know you’re coaching some young guys,” Mahorn said. “I want them to have the respect of being a professional. The fact is they’re the ones carrying the torch later.”
Ice Cube or Kwatinetz weren’t in attendance Saturday, but Ice Cube’s son, Oshea Jackson Jr., was present and working with CBS Sports on interviews. Other celebrities were on hand to show support, underscoring the event’s broader appeal.