Pistons Legend Rick Mahorn Returns To Detroit Roots As BIG3 Coach
Former Detroit Piston Rick Mahorn has returned to coach the BIG3's Detroit AMPs, calling the role "home." This move coincides with the league's new local ownership model for 2025, designed to cultivate local interest and revenue. Mahorn, a "Bad Boy" champion, brings his deep Detroit roots and championship pedigree to the 0-5 AMPs, who play at Little Caesars Arena. He maintains strong ties with the Pistons as a radio analyst and alumni ambassador, often mentoring current players and praising Cade Cunningham's leadership. Mahorn, who enjoys the BIG3's once-a-week schedule, emphasizes teaching and drawing on his own extensive playing and coaching experience to guide his team.
Since the inception of Ice Cube’s basketball league in 2017, Rick Mahorn has coached four different BIG3 teams.
But now the former Detroit Pistons big man and current team announcer is back where he’s supposed to be — coaching the BIG3’s Detroit team.
“This is home,” Mahorn exclusively shared.
As a way to increase revenue and further cultivate local interest, the BIG3 first went to a local ownership model for the 2025 season, and Hall of Famer George Gervin, who grew up in Detroit and went to Eastern Michigan, was the Detroit AMPs’ coach for that inaugural reason and remains part of the AMPs’ ownership group.
Previously, Gervin and Mahorn faced off not only as BIG3 coaches, but also NBA players in the 1980s.
“He used to finger roll past my head,” Mahorn said, “and say, ‘Too late, Big Fella, too late.’”
Now the one-time, 6-10, 260-pound Pistons enforcer will lead his AMPs team to play in Little Caesars Arena, the home of the Pistons, on July 23 for Week Six.
His AMPs also played there in in Week Two on June 27. So the Little Caesars Arena crowd will get a chance to welcome Mahorn for the second time.
“He’s meant a lot,” said Greg Hamilton, the chief marketing officer for the Detroit-based Little Caesars pizza company. “As Detroiters we root for all of our Detroit teams.”
The arena — to which Little Caesars secured the naming rights to in 2016 with a 20-year deal — is Mahorn’s workplace when he’s not coaching the AMPs as well.
He is the color analyst for the Pistons radio broadcast network.
Mahorn, who remains close with former “Bad Boys” and NBA champions James Edwards, Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas, also works with the team alumni association. Called the Pistons Legends, the former players serve as community and team ambassadors at both home Pistons games and community events.
Mahorn also has formed a bond with the current Pistons who ask him about his playoff battles against the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers and Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
“The guys show a lot of respect,” Mahorn said.
He became particularly close to Isaiah Stewart — a physical player like Mahorn — who the Pistons recently traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Mahomes can relate. Originally drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1980, he initially was upset to be traded to the Pistons in 1985. And then after the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves initially claimed him, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1989. He returned to the Pistons from 1996 to 1999.
“I’m one of those former players that’s been on several teams,” Mahorn said. “This is the business of basketball, and you will miss people.”
Along with trading Stewart and acquiring John Collins, the status of another key Pistons frontcourt player, restricted free agent Jalen Duren, remains up in the air.
Whether or not Duren is back, the Pistons will build around Cade Cunningham, an All-NBA, first-team player in 2026.
“I love his wholesomeness. I love his grounded attitude,” Mahorn said. “He’s a grateful guy.”
Cunningham has been the focal point of the Pistons’ resurrection as they went from a last-place, 14-win team in 2023-24 to the No. 1 seed in the East last year.
The last-place, 0-5 AMPs will hope for a similar reversal of fortune.
The 2026 season is certainly not going the AMPs’ way, but they have a coach with championship pedigree. He not only won a ring as player with the Pistons in 1989, but also as a coach in the WNBA and BIG3.
The 67-year-old Mahorn enjoys the latter league because its once-a-week game schedule gives him a chance to coach while also allowing him time for summer vacation.
He can lead and mentor his AMPs just as Wes Unseld did for him on the Bullets during the Hall of Famer’s latter playing years.
“I always enjoy it,” Mahorn said. “It’s about teaching because someone had to teach me, and the fact is you try to gravitate to former players.”