Earl Cureton
Another eclectic career journeyman who has become even more attached to the rivalry in post-retirement, Earl Cureton got his start at my alma mater, Robert Morris University. He would transfer later to his hometown University of Detroit before making the leap to the NBA.
Cureton played in the NBA for 12 seasons, playing in 728 combined games for the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors.
He has the distinction of being part of championship teams more than a decade apart, appearing in five playoff games for the 1983 Sixers and then returning in 1994 for the Houston Rockets. He would leave the league in 1990 to play in Italy, came back for one season before playing for the New Haven Skyhawks, Tours Joue Basket and the Sioux Falls Skyforce before his Rockets return. After two more years away, Cureton returned for nine games with Raptors at the age of 39.
After dabbling in coaching from 1998 to 2005 in the ABA Cureton would return to the Pistons in 2013 as a Community Ambassador. This role involves community outreach and helping build the community around the team in charitable ways. Cureton is giving back to his hometown in a meaningful way through basketball to this day.