DETROIT -- Mike Ilitch, the Little Caesars pizza mogul who already owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, said Monday that he wants to buy the Detroit Pistons in part to make sure another buyer doesn't move the NBA franchise out of town.
The Pistons declined to comment on Ilitch's interest in the team, which Forbes valued at $479 million last year.
Pistons owner Karen Davidson has said she's considering a sale of the team by itself or as part of a package with Palace Sports and Entertainment, which includes The Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival.
Her husband, Bill Davidson, died last year. The late owner known as "Mr. D" helped the Pistons win NBA titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004. Karen Davidson has said she expects the deal to be done by the opening game in late October.
"When I read in the paper there was the chance that this great sports town could lose one of its professional sports franchises, I just didn't see how we could let that happen," Ilitch said. "The Pistons, just like the Red Wings, Tigers and the Lions, have a rich and storied tradition in this community."
The announcement by Ilitch, who wants to build a new downtown arena for the NHL's Red Wings, raised the prospect that the Pistons could end up sharing space. Whether the Pistons might leave their suburban home at The Palace if Ilitch's bid succeeds, a spokeswoman noted, is just speculation.
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