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Detroit Pistons: 25 Best Players To Play For The Pistons

By Phil Watson

Oct 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general view of The Palace of Auburn Hills prior to the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general view of The Palace of Auburn Hills prior to the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Basketball: NBA Playoffs: Detroit Pistons Bill Laimbeer (40) during fight vs Chicago Bulls Will Perdue (32) at Chicago Stadium. Game 2. Laimbeer wearing face mask. Chicago, IL 5/21/1991 CREDIT: Manny Millan (Photo by Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X41455 )
Basketball: NBA Playoffs: Detroit Pistons Bill Laimbeer (40) during fight vs Chicago Bulls Will Perdue (32) at Chicago Stadium. Game 2. Laimbeer wearing face mask. Chicago, IL 5/21/1991 CREDIT: Manny Millan (Photo by Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X41455 ) /

Bill Laimbeer. 14. player. 64. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Trade, Cleveland Cavaliers, Feb. 16, 1982.. C.

So how does a guy go from backup center on one of the NBA’s worst teams to centerpiece of a two-time champion?

Bill Laimbeer traveled that path after he was acquired by the Detroit Pistons along with Kenny Carr from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a February 1982 trade in exchange for Phil Hubbard, Paul Mokeski and 1982 first- and second-round draft picks.

DET_14_LAIMBEER
DET_14_LAIMBEER /

The Pistons plugged Laimbeer into their starting center spot after the deal and he remained there for more than a decade.

Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star for the Pistons, leading the league in rebounding in 1985-86. He finished second in 1984-85, third in 1982-83, fourth in 1983-84 and fifth in 1986-87, while also finishing third in free-throw shooting in both 1983-84 and 1986-87.

He was also part of a Bad Boys unit that reached three straight NBA Finals, winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

In a seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals, Laimbeer averaged 9.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 33.6 minutes a game, shooting .391/2-for-6/10-for-12.

The Pistons swept the Lakers to win the franchise’s first title the following year, with Laimbeer putting up 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.5 minutes a night, shooting .545/2-for-3/6-for-7.

While Detroit capped off a repeat with a five-game triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1990 NBA Finals, Laimbeer averaged 13.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 38.2 minutes a game, shooting .444/.364/10-for-10.

Facing a diminished role for a team that was no longer a contender, Laimbeer retired in December 1993 after appearing in 11 games.

In parts of 13 seasons in Detroit, Laimbeer averaged 13.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per game on .498/.325/.844 shooting.

He was a part-time player over a four-year career at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish to the Final Four as a junior and averaging 6.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a senior.

The Cavaliers took a flyer on the big kid in the third round of the 1979 NBA Draft, but Laimbeer opted to play the 1979-80 season in Italy.

He finally signed with Cleveland in July 1980, starting as a rookie and coming off the bench until being traded in his second season.

Laimbeer, currently coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, is 34th in NBA history with 10,400 rebounds.

Next: A.D. Brought Scoring Punch

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