Dave DeBusschere Biography

Fast Facts

• Was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983
• In 1996, he was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• Attended the University of Detroit, where he played both baseball and basketball
• Was a star baseball and basketball player in his hometown of Detroit, finding success in both sports at Austin Catholic High School
• Instead of choosing between basketball and baseball when he graduated from college, he signed with both the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Detroit Pistons
• Played professional baseball for four seasons and minor league baseball for one more season before coaching obligations forced him to make a choice between baseball and basketball
• Quote: "It was a relief to give up coaching․ I realize now there were things I wasn't mature enough to handle․ As soon as I was back on my own again, I had my best season․"
• Known as one of the best all-time defenders in the NBA
• Became the youngest coach in NBA history when Fred Zollner appointed him as a player-coach at the age of 24
• Served as vice president and general manager of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets in 1974
• Was hired as commissioner of the American Basketball Association in 1975 and helped the league merge with the NBA following the 1975-76 season