During his first few years out of college, all Max Unger wanted was for someone to give him a chance, a path into the world of basketball.
Today, he is the one who provides the brakes and helps keep the hopes and dreams of basketball alive.
After one season as assistant general manager of the Detroit Pistons’ G League team, the Motor City Cruise, the 31-year-old Huntington Woods native was promoted to general manager of the four-year affiliate earlier this week.
“I am extremely excited to continue the success of the Motor City Cruise and lead our players, coaches and staff with the same values and principles established by (new Pistons president) Trajan Langdon and his team this offseason,” Unger said in a press release. “We look forward to a successful upcoming G League campaign and supporting the Detroit Pistons in the growth and development of our players.”
He replaces Ben Carloni, who joins the Pistons’ front office as director of basketball administration after two years as Cruise’s team leader. The two coordinated on a trade with the Osceola Magic that brought back former Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson, who set franchise records for points scored (938) and assists (388). They also collaborated on the acquisitions of Sam Peek, Nathan Knight, Devon Higgs and Jayce Johnson, while Cruise — who finished 16-18, ninth in the G League Eastern Conference and played in the G League Showcase tournament — tied for the league lead in NBA call-ups with five.
The rise was rapid for Unger, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Michigan in 2015 and a master’s degree in management from the Ross School of Business a year later, then spent the next few years trying to break into professional basketball.
“I worked in the financial industry for four years after college. The whole time I was working on side projects, talking to as many people as I could, trying to figure out how to break into basketball,” Unger said. in an interview with The PreP in November 2023“I’ve been very fortunate, but luck doesn’t always come if you don’t try. I felt very fortunate to have found an opportunity in San Antonio and now to be here with the Pistons, it’s incredible.”
Unger’s first NBA break came with the San Antonio Spurs, as a basketball operations quality assurance assistant in 2019-21, then spent a year with the Pistons as their college scouting coordinator in 2021-22 before joining Cruise last year.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to work in the game of basketball, the way it is, and to do it for the team that… the reason I fell in love with the game of basketball was the Pistons in the early 2000s, so it’s very special to be a part of that,” Unger told PreP. “To have the opportunity to build relationships with people who are trying to become the best at what they do, to be able to work with our coaches and our players, and contribute to their development, whatever it may be, is a very unique thing, and I don’t take that for granted. That’s what I try to do, is just help them in any way I can.”
The Cruise will host local player tryouts — which have netted the likes of Peek and Malique Jacobs in the past — at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center on Saturday, September 14, followed by the G League Draft on October 26.
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