Free read, April 14-18: Cade at the Garden, the two Gen Zs, tense youth business event
Here's what was happening this week
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Game 1 of the Pistons vs. Knicks series tips off at 6pm Saturday, at Madison Square Garden, in New York.
National media and NBA personalities previewing the first-round matchup are taking the Pistons seriously. Detroit took the season series, 3-1.
All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, a likely All-NBA selection, blossomed into a superstar this regular season. He told ESPN’s Shams Charania he knows how much his playoff performance will impact the narrative surrounding where he ranks among the rest of the league’s young stars.
“I don't think there's too many players that you can argue over me,” Cunningham said.
The Knicks hold home-court advantage, meaning Cade has at least two games to prove himself at MSG, viewed by fans as the biggest stage in basketball, and one of the most difficult places to play.
One of the best Pistons stories this season away from the court has been the buy-in from the front office to go all-in on forging a relationship with fans. The Pistons’ social media team gave out the first ever “fan superlative” awards last week, shouting out some of the team’s the most passionate followers.
The social media team was instantly supported at the beginning of the season not only president Trajan Langdon and coach J.B. Bickerstaff, but two of the veterans on the team: Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, Omari Sankofa reports.
The team is made up of Pistons social media director Major Taylor III, of Detroit, social media manager Grace Andreski, of Grand Blanc, and senior coordinator Noah Happy, of Macomb Twp.
Read more about the joy they helped bring fans this season.
Here’s what else I was reading about this week:
There are two Gen Z’s
New data from Yale Polling reveals the political age divide emerging within Gen Z.
There’s a growing body of evidence showing college campuses swinging hard to Trump from 2020 to 2024, according to Yale Polling data director Zachary Donnini.
Twitter users this week noted the researcher’s latest findings line up with observations from Rachel Janfaza, author of The Up and Up, which focuses on the political and cultural forces shaping Gen Z and how they are influencing others.
She created an infographic (included above) showing the difference between what she describes as Gen Z 1.0 and 2.0.
Gen Z 1.0 started college in the Trump era, graduating high school before the pandemic, and spent childhood largely without Instagram and TikTok.
For the younger crop of Gen Zs, TikTok, Instagram are more formative than MySpace and Facebook, most of whom skipped over entirely.
You can read more from Janfaza by subscribing to The Up and Up.
Detroit City Council member to activist: “You’re ghetto girl”
A local activist was escorted out of the building after she interrupted a Detroit City Council at a youth business networking event.
The event aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs. Attendees shared coaching and funding opportunities.
Zsa Zsa Hubbard waited inside The Love Building on Grand River in Core City Wednesday evening for council member Mary Waters to arrive. She ambushed the council member once Waters began to address the room full of attendees made up of small business owners and nonprofit leaders.
Hubbard accused Waters of stealing her idea for the networking style event, which was created with the mayor’s office out of the desire to connect young leaders, Waters said.
“These people work hard for their ideas, they work hard for what God gave them. These are visions God gave them,” Hubbard said. “You’re not going to play in their face.”
For about five minutes she debated with Waters in front of an uncomfortable crowd, urging them to sign non-disclosure agreements before taking business ideas to city employees.
“You’re ghetto girl,” Waters told Hubbard, who was escorted out of the building by police without incident.
Waters said Hubbard wanted this initiative under her business, which wasn’t possible.
Dem lawmaker clingwraps Republican colleague’s car
A Lansing area Democratic state lawmaker clingwrapped a Republican colleague’s BMW on Thursday as a prank.
“My good colleague from the 51st District parked in two spots, including mine, to make sure no one hit his fancy car,” state Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Okemos, told the Detroit News. “I Saran wrapped it to give it an extra layer of protection.”
Brixie wrapped Milford state Rep. Matt Maddock’s car while House was in session Thursday and a half an hour later, made an announcement on the House floor.
“I just came in from the parking ramp and there’s a black BMW with the license plate number ‘M-M-A-D-D.’ Your hood is open, your lights are on and your engine is running. Thank you.”
On Twitter, Maddock said Brixie “keeps trying to get my attention and I keep telling her I'm married.”