Former Detroit Pistons Vinnie Johnson Expands Auto Business At Site Of Old NBA Stomping Ground
Former Detroit Pistons guard Vinnie Johnson is bringing business to the site where he won two NBA Championships
Black News 
Former Detroit Pistons guard Vinnie Johnson is bringing business to the site where he won two NBA Championships, The Palace of Auburn Hills.
According to Click on Detroit, Johnson is expanding his automotive business, “Piston Automotive,” a BE 100s company, to the site of the Pistons’ former home. The former player toured the new facility on April 28, meeting with staff and other executives.
His company will operate out of a General Motors-owned building, which will support GM Orion Assembly operations. They will supply components for the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Cadillac Escalade. The site should create approximately 400 jobs in the area and covers an area about the size of 120 basketball courts. The new plant will heavily utilize automation, and production should start in early 2027.
From playing basketball to building vehicles in the same spot he won back-to-back NBA titles (1989-1990) has special meaning for the player once called “The Microwave.”
“I’ve been planning this since I retired, and we’ve been able to build this business over $3 billion and create jobs throughout the country,” Johnson told Click on Detroit. “We’re pretty excited about it.”
Johnson’s former Pistons teammate, James “Buddha” Edwards, is also with the company. He was also amazed at where the company is, tracing back to his NBA days at The Palace.
“It’s kind of crazy. And good things are going to happen here.”
Johnson was a key reserve player coming off the bench as the sixth man for the Detroit Pistons during the team’s championship runs of 1989 and 1990. He contributed to the team’s success by relieving a starter and providing the necessary spark when needed. While playing in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1990, Johnson made a dramatic 14-foot shot with 0.7 seconds left on the clock to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92-90 to help the Pistons repeat as NBA champions.
