Pistons rookie in danger of missing game for very unusual reason

Dec 31, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) prepares to play the Minnesota Timberwolves before the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren appears to have made a real rookie mistake this week.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports Tuesday that the first-year big man Duren is not currently with the Pistons, who are in France for a game on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls (the NBA Paris Game 2023). The reason is that Duren reportedly lost his passport and was thus unable to travel with the team to France.

Edwards adds that the Pistons are working on the matter and hope to get Duren to France in time for the game. But with a roughly eight-hour flight time from Detroit to Paris (non-stop), Duren may be cutting it pretty close.

The Pistons posed for a picture on Tuesday in front of the Eiffel Tower with 14 of their 15 active roster players. Duren was the lone absence.

Make it official.

Les @DetroitPistons à la Tour Eiffel 📸#NBAParis 2k23 pic.twitter.com/QTeMsXrJtM

— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) January 17, 2023

Duren, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has had a productive rookie year for the Pistons, averaging 7.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over 39 total appearances. But having just turned 19 in November, Duren is currently the youngest player in the NBA and certainly looked the part with that passport goof.

The good news for Duren though is that he is not alone. Just a couple of months ago, a well-known (and much older) NFL player also had a hard time getting into Europe for a game over a passport issue.