Michael A. Fletcher Apr 23, 2026, 08:19 AM ET Close Michael Fletcher is a senior writer with ESPN's enterprise and investigative team. Before that, he wrote for ESPN's The Undefeated, focusing on politics, criminal justice and social issues. He spent 21 years at The Washington Post, where his beats included the national economy, the White House and race relations. JALEN DUREN SAT in front of a Detroit Pistons logo as a few thousand season-ticket holders gathered inside Little Caesars Arena in a late February player meet and greet. The team was split into four groups stationed in the corners of the court, fans moving in a steady line, offering handshakes, fist bumps and quick words of encouragement. Music pulsed over the speakers while highlights from the franchise's most successful season in two decades looped across the video board above. For the most part, Duren, dressed in gray team sweats, a black Detroit Tigers cap and a black jacket, kept it moving.…