It didn’t take very long for some Pistons fans to move on from the Tayshaun Prince Era, which came to an end last night. A fan was spotted ditching a Prince jersey when he found out about the news prior to the start of the game. As for Tayshaun, he says that the trade to the Memphis Grizzlies came as a shock. Per the Detroit Free Press: Prince received the news shortly before tip-off and watched from the visitor’s locker room as his stunned former team fell to the Pacers, 98-79. ‘I was shocked obviously,’ Prince said. ‘For me it’s definitely a tough time, but now it’s time for me to go on to the next page and make the most of it. I thought things were starting to go well here as of late; I thought the last month we were making strides.’ […] Prince’s tenure comes to a close at the place of his greatest solo act — his block of Reggie Miller in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, a key play in that title run. Prince was a mainstay as soon as then-Pistons coach Rick Carlisle inserted the Pistons’ 2002 first-round pick into the starting lineup in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series against the Magic. Trailing the series 3-1, Prince’s defense on Tracy McGrady was instrumental in the comeback. During the 2004 championship run, Prince, 32, was the unsung member of the starting lineup that stunned the Lakers, 4-1. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton’s contributions might have been more heralded, but his defense and smarts were vital. But Prince has been the subject of trade rumors in recent years and he was aware 11-year tenures with one team are rare. He admitted he was excited about going to one of the top contenders in the Western Conference, but it was bittersweet. ‘When you’re accustomed to one spot for a long time you get acclimated so well,’ Prince said. ‘The feel you aren’t going nowhere. It’s definitely a culture shock and it’s kind of mixed emotions. Guys were upbeat before the game and the next thing they know they hear this.’ […] ‘Trading a player like Tayshaun Prince, who has meant so much to our organization and contributed to our championship success, is never easy,’ Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement. ‘We want to thank Tayshaun for his professionalism and contributions over the last 10 years.'”
(H/T: @TBJ)
