Little about Bill Laimbeer’s collegiate career at Notre Dame indicated he was a future star.
As a junior on the Fighting Irish’s 1978 Final Four team, he averaged 8.1 points and 7.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game, playing behind senior Dave Batton. As a senior, he started, but averaged just 20.5 minutes per game.
When he signed to play in Italy after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1979 NBA Draft, it was easy to assume Laimbeer would fade into oblivion.
Turns out he was just getting started.
Laimbeer signed with the Cavaliers in the summer of 1980 and wound up as the team’s starting center and his career blossomed after a February 1982 trade to the Detroit Pistons made him a centerpiece for a team that would grow into a two-time champion.
Laimbeer led the NBA in rebounding in 1985-86 and was part of two title teams in Detroit, but became known for his physical play and nasty edge, earning nicknames such as the Prince of Darkness and His Heinous along the way.
Between 1982-83 and 1991-92, Laimbeer was a rock in the middle for the Pistons, missing just three regular-season games.
His game evolved as he aged, as he developed a credible 3-point shot to become an early version of the now-popular stretch 5, shooting 36.1 percent on 2.0 deep attempts per game in his age-32 season in 1989-90, the same season Detroit won the first of its two straight titles.
In 14 seasons — he retired abruptly in December 1993 — Laimbeer averaged 12.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.8 minutes per game over the course of 1,068 appearances, shooting 49.8 percent overall and 83.7 percent at the line, outstanding for a center.
In 113 career playoff games, Laimbeer’s numbers were similar — 12.0 points, 9.7 rebounds in 33.1 minutes.
Laimbeer is 36th on the NBA’s all-time list with 10,400 career rebounds.