There is a fascinating story taking place in Detroit. Dave Bing, the former Pistons star, confounded his family and closest friends by becoming the mayor of one of the most downtrodden cities in America.

His story resonates with University of Buffalo running back James Starks.

Starks had a chance to leave his economically depressed hometown of Niagara Falls for Boston College, or Connecticut or Syracuse, but he chose to stay home.

“A lot of great players have left Western New York,” Starks told The Post. “I wanted to do something different. I wanted to change the perception of Buffalo football. I wanted to give younger kids around here someone they could look up to. This is where I’m from. This is who I am.”

Please let the Buffalo Bills draft this dynamic 6-2, 218-pound beast of a back. Please let him have a Bing-like career with the Bills.

Starks almost surely would have been a first-day pick in tonight’s NFL Draft had he not suffered a torn labrum that forced him to miss his senior season.

He already had become Buffalo’s career rushing leader with 3,140 yards in 36 games and was poised to post his third straight 1,000-yard season. He also had 127 receptions for 878 yards.

His shoulder showed no ill-effects at the NFL Combine where he did 15 reps of the bench press at 225 pounds.

“He’s the one back in this draft who could emerge as an every-down back without having been picked in the first or second rounds,” said Dan Mogollon of NFL Draft Bible. “He’s that talented.”

And that loyal.

Starks isn’t hard to find. If Niagara Falls High School has a football or basketball game — he was the starting quarterback and sixth man on the hoops team (his cousin, former Syracuse star Jonny Flynn, was the starting point guard) that won the 2005 New York State title — Starks is there.

If the Wildcats, his Pee Wee football team has a game, Starks is there. If there’s an event at the Niagara Falls YMCA, Starks is there.

“He’s the Pied Piper of Niagara Falls,” said Ronald Shiesley, the former Niagara Country Parks commissioner and Starks’ mentor.

“Everyone knows him,” added Shiesley. “I’ve never met a kid who was that good of an athlete and that loyal to his home town. If the Bills draft him, they’ll sell out every game.”

Starks was fascinated to hear Bing’s story. His focus right now is on an NFL future, but no one should be shocked to see Starks’ name on a Buffalo ballot one day.

“That would be different,” he said with a chuckle. “But I’ve always done things a little different so who knows.”