As the Detroit Pistons took on the Cleveland Cavaliers, a special guest watched on from the stands. Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs was at the Little Caesars Arena as he saw his city's basketball team edge past the Cavaliers (111-101). Elated, he followed it up with a special message.

“DAS 1," wrote Gibbs on his Instagram post to mark the special moment.

To clarify, Gibbs used DAS 1 to represent, "Detroit All Sports, One City". It was his way of showing solidarity after their Eastern Conference semifinal victory.

The city’s affection for Gibbs was on display as he received a loud ovation from the arena crowd.

Pistons' Cade Cunningham, who was the star in the game against the Cavaliers (23 pts and 7 assists), had attended a Lions game last year at Ford Field. Gibbs just returned the favor. Showing up and cheering for the team.

Lions RB Gibbs hopes to replicate the same magic after a season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022. But, Detroit's last season also had an interesting statistic attached to it, with chances of breaking that streak this season.

2026 Season Could Open Door for Lions’ Undrafted Rookies

The Detroit Lions' last season was the first in 15 years of their history when undrafted rookies didn't make the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation's Pride of Detroit.

Players like Ian Kennelly weren't considered despite a strong training camp. Nevertheless, some players from that bunch have still decided to hang around, like RB Kye Robichaux, OT Mason Miller, and TE Zach Horton.

This year, there are also hopefuls in the mix. There are Edge Anthony Lucas and TE Miles Kitselman, who are looked at as backups. Then there's also QB Luke Altmyer.

While there is still doubt about whether Altmyer would make the cut, a modest performance can get him a spot on the team. Throw in Aidan Keanaaina in the fray, and this time it feels the UDFA's rookies have a shot, as per Reisman.

The former Notre Dame transfer played nearly 1,000 snaps for Cal over the last two seasons. He accumulated over 100 combined tackles and was the mainstay of the Golden Bears' defense.

The Lions appear better positioned to integrate rookie talent this spring than during the previous season.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Rudra Dubey