Atlanta-Luca Garza and Chris Smith put towels in front of each veteran's locker. Jamorko Pickett came in from the convoy bus with a large gear bag. Even Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick, cannot be exempt from the rookie duties.

All of them should carry a custom pink backpack with a shiny unicorn on the back.

It's like college peak week, but for NBA rookies, it will last the entire season. Each team has its own unique tradition. For the Pistons, veterans have a simple set of tasks for their first-year players.

These requirements may include ordering and picking up dinner before boarding the plane to the next city, or running late at night to get snacks. Or anything the vet dreams of. This is part of the newcomer's coming-of-age ceremony, learn to be humble and do small tasks for veterans.

This is a tradition that dates back decades. The veteran will provide rookies with valuable Nuggets and knowledge about the league, so this is a fair exchange.

"They obviously ask us to do something like this, but they really welcome newcomers. They teach us every day and help us become better," Garza said. "I think I am learning a lot every day, just with the team, the coach and all of us.

"I am a person who is eager to learn about basketball games and want to learn, so it is great to have this opportunity. I am trying to absorb it and make the most of it."

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This is not bullying, just doing things well. Most veterans say that the Pistons' rookies this season have been slacking their duties - mainly due to the pandemic. Because the places players can go and what they can do during the journey are more limited, the full effect of rookie duties does not exist.

"There are a lot of bad (rookie), veteran Corey Joseph said. "Luca and Chris are the best. This is COVID, so they are lucky; there is nothing you can do during COVID. "

What hasn't changed in recent years is that rookies are wearing pink backpacks, which are provided by the team's equipment manager John Cumentulos. Each rookie has its own backpack, and Coumoundouros added a shoe bag to carry around to match the appearance.

He said that everything is player-driven, which helps build a culture, makes rookies stand up, and also helps veterans. He ordered the brightest pink backpack he could find-the unicorn was a special feeling.

"Everything is custom made," Coumoundouros said. "It's just playing around (rookie). I just think it's funny. It's one of my daughter's things. It just made a great backpack, and she also had one at the time."

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Garza said he enjoyed the advice he received from all the veterans, including Jeremy Grant, who spent time with people he admired in the Washington, DC basketball team. Joseph, Rodney McGruder and Kelly Olynyk also provided valuable wisdom for helping Garza adapt to the NBA.

Rookie duties are not a new trend. They have been around for many years and may include singing, "Happy Birthday!" to veterans, performing songs or skits at team meetings or whatever the veterans decide.

"This is just part of the process. This is something that always exists in the league. It allows rookies to enter (and learn)," said Joseph, who has entered the 11th season. "In addition to basketball, it also allows you to build rapport and trust between teammates."

When Joseph was a rookie with the San Antonio Spurs in 2011, he and rookie Kawhi Leonard had specific responsibilities on the veteran team, including Hall of Fame center Tim Duncan.

"I used to go to Shipley's (Donuts) to buy Timmy, and then Kawhi used it to process Krispy Kremes," Joseph recalled. "On match days, most of them are dozens or dozens.

"Timmy needs coconut donuts-he has that island... he is also a healthy person-he may only eat one or two, but just in case he wants it, it must be there."

Sometimes, veterans may have a whim, which may require some ingenuity and improvisation to complete these tasks. It doesn't matter if it is a little inconvenient-the work needs to be done.

"The strangest thing I had to do was my rookie year Alan Williams," said veteran Josh Jackson. "I think we were in Indiana, and he asked me to run to CVS around two in the morning to buy whole milk because he ordered cookies in the room late at night."

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The rookies of the Pistons were lucky during the COVID, because the veterans had to reduce their demands. This is different from a normal year, but the overall feeling is that these rookies did not fully meet the usual standards.

"Hey, JG," Joseph called to Grant after the practice. "He wants to know how the rookies are?"

Grant shook his head disappointedly. Jackson and McGruder told the anecdote of the slow start of tradition during the team's first road trip.

They are novices, so they are just learning. There are still many road games to play. There are dozens of donuts to grab.

"You always dream of becoming an NBA rookie, so you understand what comes with it, and you have seen it before-stories about players and different things like that. I kind of accept it, only knowing that I am here ," Garza said. "In order to enter the NBA, I will do whatever it takes. If I have to carry a pink backpack with a unicorn, I will do it. It is a blessing to be here and be part of a great team. "

Tipoff: Thursday, 7th, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Outlook: Pistons' leading scorer Jeremy Grant (elbow) did not train on Wednesday and still has problems, as did 76ers centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond.