Get to know Pistons beat writer Mike Curtis: 'If I can reach my dreams, so can you'

Editor's note: Mike Curtis is the new Detroit Pistons beat writer for The Detroit News. Here are 10 things about him:

► 1. I'm an early '90's baby and only child who was born in Paducah, Kentucky, but my mom moved us to Saginaw when I was five years old, shortly after my father died suddenly in 1995. Good ol' SagNasty. It's not an easy place to grow up, but if you can make it out of there, you can make it anywhere. Just ask four-time NBA champion Draymond Green, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham, former NBA dunk contest champion Jason Richardson or Super Bowl champion LaMarr Woodley. It's also the birthplace of a couple of legends, Serena Williams and Stevie Wonder, who ultimately moved away when they were young. My first job was Hungry Howie's Pizza in Bridgeport, and I worked there during my upperclassman years at Buena Vista High School. Most of my paychecks went toward pizza and video games. Those were the good ol' days. After I graduated in 2009, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to begin a new journey.

► 2. I'm a proud graduate of Tennessee State University, the only college I applied for as a senior in high school. I pictured myself going to Michigan State, but I ultimately wanted to attend an HBCU. If Saginaw was my foundation, then TSU is where my development was nurtured and enhanced. I was very shy as a freshman, but I became an extroverted-introvert by the time I left "The Land of Golden Sunshine." I made lifelong friendships and joined several organizations. As a sophomore, I changed my major from architecture to mass communication. That decision was a pivotal moment because it was the beginning of my pursuit toward journalism. They call college the best years of your life. I don't necessarily subscribe to that because I believe we're constantly evolving and getting better, but they were definitely some of the funnest* times. I'm so glad I went to TSU.

► 3. Let me explain why my major was architecture in the first place. A lot of people don't know this, but my hidden talent is art. I've had a natural ability to draw since I was fairly young. I filled up several sketchpads through my adolescent years. My specialty was cartoons, specifically Dragon Ball Z characters, Looney Tunes and Marvel comics, but every now and then I'd draw real people, like musicians and NBA players. I'd take the best pictures from SLAM Magazine — the basketball version of the Bible — and draw my favorite players. I drew Allen Iverson during his brief stint with the Pistons in 2009, but it didn't look like "AI" that we all know. I'd say my best celebrity portrait was one of Kobe Bryant when he played for Team USA in 2008. I wanted to pursue a career in art, but didn't think it was lucrative enough to make a decent living so I chose architecture instead. I quickly realized that I wouldn't last in that field because I wasn't passionate about it. Bottom line: Don't chase the money. Chase your passion.

► 4. Speaking of passion, basketball has always been one of mine. I loved hooping with my friends. I wasn't the tallest and I didn't have the best handles, but I could shoot despite my height. Some people say the "swish" is their favorite basketball sound, but I like to call it a snap or popping sound as the ball goes through the net. It's one of the best nuances of the game. I grew up watching the Pistons during the "Goin' to Work" era, when their games aired on Fox Sports Detroit — if they weren’t on national television. The first NBA game I ever attended was a Pistons game in 2005 against the Denver Nuggets in the Palace of Auburn Hills. I witnessed the franchise’s transition from the defensive-minded coaching era of Larry Brown to the offense-focused reign of Flip Saunders. As a kid of the '90's, I was aware of the dynamic duo between Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars and the rest of the Bad Boy Pistons. It's always been my dream to cover the NBA, and now I'll be able to document a new era in Pistons lore, including Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey, Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Stewart and the rest of Detroit's young core.

► 5. After graduating from TSU in 2014, I worked several odd marketing and customer service jobs until I pursued my master's degree from Middle Tennessee State. During this time I interned at the Design Studio at the Tennessean. My career really took off in 2018 after I graduated from MTSU. I was accepted into the Sports Journalism Institute, a training and internship program for college students that desire to pursue careers in sports journalism. My internship landed me at the Knoxville News Sentinel. This was my final summer in Tennessee, because that fall I landed my first full-time job in journalism.

► 6. I wouldn't be in Detroit if it wasn't for my previous stop in Syracuse, New York. I worked at syracuse.com/The Post-Standard for the last 3½ years. I covered high school sports for about a year and a half until the pandemic changed the whole landscape of the world. During this time, I got promoted to the college level and covered Syracuse men and women's basketball, along with Syracuse football and recruiting. I had a lot of fun moments, learning lessons, interesting encounters and special stories during my time covering Syracuse. It's kind of ironic that former Syracuse star Buddy Boeheim is now on a two-way contract with the Pistons, too.

► 7. I am a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I chose this fact for No. 7 to pay tribute to the seven founders who started the organization on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1906. It's also been a little over seven years since I was initiated in 2014. Shoutout to my line brothers, the 13 AGE. The late Stuart Scott, fellow Alphaman and former legendary SportsCenter broadcaster, was one my biggest inspirations in journalism and one of my initial reasons for wanting to join the fraternity.

► 8. Music is an essential part of my life. It doesn't matter if I'm in the car, outside for a walk or just lounging around in my apartment, music is usually blaring through my Airpods or Bluetooth speaker. I mainly listen to hip-hop and R&B, but I've grown fond of gospel over the past few years. My closest friends are used to me breaking out with a random song lyric every now and then. That goes for Twitter, too. If you see a quote, nine times out of 10 I got it from a song. My favorite musical artist is J. Cole. He's the greatest lyricist of this generation, by far. I'm sure that comment will ruffle a few feathers, but I'll stand on it. My other favorites include Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Nipsey Hussle, Meek Mill and Detroit's very own Big Sean. I've seen most of them in concert and I can't wait to see Lamar for the second time during his Big Steppers Tour in Little Caesars Arena next month.

► 9. I've battled Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for the last 20 years. I'll spare you the specifics, but I've taken countless forms of medication, experienced excruciating surgeries and had a bunch of sudden trips to the bathroom. I was diagnosed when I was 11 at the University of Michigan's Medical School. I promised myself that I would never be defined by Crohn's, and instead I would live as if I didn't have it. That mindset can be a gift and a curse. In fact, most people couldn't tell that I'm in pain just by looking at me. I guess I hide it pretty well, either that or I've grown accustomed to it. My support system of my mom and my closest friends get me through it, most of the time. I debated myself on whether I wanted to write about this since it's a bit personal, but it's part of my story and I hope it empowers someone who's also fighting through a chronic illness. Despite it all, I've accomplished far more than I imagined when I was in that doctor's office as a child and they told me I had an incurable disease. If I can reach my dreams, so can you.

► 10. Let's end this on a brighter note. I love food. A couple of favorites include pizza, salmon, lemon pepper wings and tacos. If anyone has any restaurant recommendations, don't hesitate to send them my way!

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @MikeACurtis2