Detroit Pistons shooting guard Caris LeVert recently recalled his days playing under Bickerstaff with the Cleveland Cavaliers in an interview, and expressed his gratitude to the coach for discovering different sides of him and making him a more comprehensive player.

Bickerstaff served as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2020 to 2024, and Caris LeVert was coached by Bickerstaff when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In July 2024, Bickerstaff was appointed head coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Looking back on his days as a coach under Bickerstaff in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Caris LeVert shared, "Bickerstaff brought out a different side of my game. I've always said that. It wasn't until I got to Cleveland that I was asked to play defense."

"Before that, no one really asked me to play defense, and now I think it's become one of the stronger parts of my game. These changes have really helped me take my game to another level. I was a completely different player before going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and playing under Bickerstaff. I think he constantly challenged me and pushed me to become the more complete player I am today, so I'm really looking forward to this reunion."

In addition, 30-year-old Caris LeVert was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February of this year and did not join the Detroit Pistons until early last month and signed a two-year contract.

In the 2024/25 NBA regular season, Caris LeVert played 26 games for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 14.9 points per game and 33.8% of his 3-point shooting percentage.

Caris LeVert continued, "I really like the culture here. I played under Bickerstaff for three years, and I like a lot of the players on the team. I like their attitude towards training, the way they play, and their fighting spirit. I think there are a lot of players with good character on this team, and I'm very happy to be able to return to Michigan and play for this team."