Dan Gilbert reportedly sent nearly two dozen buses full of Cavaliers fans to Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night for Game 7, a show of support that may have brought as many as 25 buses from Cleveland to Detroit. Media reports put the total at 25 buses carrying season ticket holders, though Cavaliers media personnel had not yet confirmed the exact number.
The reported total appeared to top Gilbert's earlier playoff gestures, when he sent four buses and then eight buses to prior games. Kenny Atkinson called the move "That's so awesome" before Game 7 and said he noticed the backing the last time the teams played in Detroit, adding that the players noticed it too.
Gilbert, the chairman of Detroit-based Rocket Cos. and a major owner of downtown Detroit real estate, has long been a familiar name in the city. He and his development team accumulated more than 100 properties downtown and redeveloped many of them for commercial or residential use, even as he has made clear that the Pistons are his second-favorite team.
Atkinson said Gilbert "wants to win, badly" and said the presence of Cleveland fans could matter in a tight road playoff setting. "I think it matters, when we see friendly faces," he said. "You know, people screaming and yelling for you." He also pointed to the matchup itself, saying, "Cleveland, Detroit, as close as they are, two teams that are battling it out, I think it's awesome."
The game came with the Cavaliers and Pistons meeting in a second-round playoff Game 7 in Detroit, where every small edge carried extra weight. The only unresolved detail was the exact bus count, which remained unconfirmed by Cavaliers media personnel even as the reports pointed to one of Gilbert's biggest fan-sending efforts yet.
