A Thank You From The Beef Stew Nickname Creator 🙏🏾😔
Today is a bittersweet day.
With Isaiah Stewart being traded, one of my favorite Pistons of this era and honestly all-time is moving on.
A lot of people know him as “Beef Stew.” What still blows my mind is that I was the one who gave him that nickname years ago. My name comes up on google if you search the name’s origin. Never in a million years did I think it would become something that would be embraced by an entire fanbase, the organization, national broadcasts, ESPN analysts, and most importantly, Isaiah himself.
To hear commentators casually say “Beef Stew” on national TV… to hear analysts call it one of the best nicknames in the NBA… to randomly scroll through social media and see thousands of fans who have no idea where it started still calling him “Beef Stew”… that’s something I’ll never be able to put a price on.
Isaiah, thank you. Though we never got around to meeting and though your X account where we discussed meeting is long gone, I hope you see this.
Thank you for embracing a nickname that came from a fan. You didn’t have to but you did, and in doing so you gave me a memory I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
As a Pistons fan, you made some really difficult years enjoyable. Through the losing, the rebuild, the fights, the hustle, the grit, and the heart, you represented Detroit exactly how I hoped someone would. You brought life back into the team. You never backed down from anyone, and that’s why this city loved you. I am shocked!
I don’t know if “Beef Stew” is making the trip to Memphis with you….
If it does, I would be honored beyond words to see that nickname continue with you wherever your career takes you. If you decide to leave it in Detroit, I’ll completely understand. Either way, it’ll always be one of my favorite memories as a Pistons fan.
You’ll always be Beef Stew to me.
Thank you for everything, and thank you for making a fan feel like he left a tiny fingerprint on the game we all love.
Once a Piston, always family.
Go be great!