One of the most interesting facts about the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren is his love for music. As someone who listens to a variety of genres and artists on a daily basis, teammates consider Duren to have the best music preference on the team.

“He surprises me a lot,” Tobias Harris told The Detroit News with a huge smile. “He is very versatile. His music is fire. He knows how to play good music.”

Duren’s passion stems from his family. He cherishes the memories of developing his musical taste as a kid who grew up listening to different types of melodies alongside his mother, Aneisea Hudgins. From cleaning the house to riding around in the car, Hudgins used music for a plethora of reasons — a trait Duren has embraced in adulthood.

He has a vast collection of artists in his library, but his all-time favorite is five-time Grammy winner Erykah Badu. Duren gravitated toward the neo-soul singer due to the messages she shared through her songs and distinctive style.

“Her music is one of those that you have to tap into,” Duren said. “For me, it’s a peaceful vibe, and a lot of her songs are a way of meditation. She’s the greatest. There was a point in time when I was going to get her tattooed on me, but I was like, ‘no,’ I wasn’t going that far.”

Over the past two months, Duren has shared his music to celebrate each of the Pistons’ victories. After each win, he pulls out the team’s Bluetooth speaker and begins blasting a variety of songs — mainly old-school hip-hop or R&B — to create a celebratory and delightful vibe inside the locker room.

Duren takes pride in holding the unofficial title of the team’s DJ, similar to how he has found fulfillment in establishing himself as the Pistons’ enforcer and tone-setter on the court.

“I like good music; it doesn’t matter what type or the genre, if it’s good music, more than likely, I like it,” Duren said. “I’m listening to music all day. It doesn’t matter if I’m just relaxing or running around doing errands; I definitely have my headphones in or my speaker that I travel with.”

Duren sees his role amid the Pistons’ rebirth this season as a huge responsibility. Each time he steps onto the floor, he analyzes the flow of the game to see where he could be most effective. Duren’s strategy has led to the most successful stretch of his career.

Over the previous 16 games, he has posted 12 double-doubles with averages of 14.4 points per game, 12.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. His production has led the Pistons to a 9-7 record.

“He has accepted his roles with this team, and he understands how important he is to this team,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He leads with his efforts. When he plays, everyone around them cannot help but elevate their game.”

While the standard expectations of a starting big man primarily define Duren’s responsibilities in Detroit, Bickerstaff has recognized his unique court vision and has used him as an additional facilitator.

ince Jan. 16, Duren has produced a usage percentage of 17.0 while establishing himself as a dependable playmaker. As a result, the Pistons have averaged 117.3 points, the eighth-highest in the league, while possessing an offensive rating of 115.9.

Duren has registered three or more assists in nine games during the span. Entering Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, Duren’s playmaking has been essential in the Pistons’ five-game winning streak, with an average of 5.6 assists.

In the Pistons’ 125-112 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 7, Duren achieved a career-high with seven assists. Bickerstaff opted to feature Duren more prominently in his offensive scheme in the game due to the absence of Cade Cunningham, who was out with an ankle injury.

“He’s hoopin’; there’s no other way around it,” Bickerstaff said.

“He’s dominating both sides of the floor, whether he is creating shots or blocking shots. He is bigger, stronger and more athletic than guys most nights. His belief that he can, how he creates, and how he is attacking. I love to see how he has put his head and shoulders down while attacking (his opponents.)”

Duren is starting to gain traction as one of the league’s best young big men in his breakout season.

However, since training camp, his top priority has been building a winning culture in Detroit while bringing the franchise back to prominence.

The Pistons are currently sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-26 record entering Sunday’s games.

They are 1.5 games back of the Milwaukee Bucks (31-24) of the fifth seed. Despite his team-first mentality, Duren has never been interested in personal accolades.

However, he does aspire to hold the title for having the best musical taste on the team.

“I’m very versatile, I can appeal to any crowd,” Duren said.

“I take pride in having the Aux. I never want anybody to say that my list, my music or my playlist is bad. That would hurt me personally.”