ERA. However, DeBusschere was injured during his second season and only played in 15 games, resulting in the Pistons finishing with a disappointing record of 2359. Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Bill Bradley to win championships in The trade transformed the Knicks from a good team into a great team. Dave DeBusschere - Basketball-Reference.com DeBusschere was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on William is a fifth-grade travel CYO and intramural player. Their last place finish made the Knicks eligible for the NBA draft lottery, and DeBusschere selected Patrick Ewing when the Knicks picked first in the draft. DeBusschere retired after the 1973-74 season with a career [1] In October 2021, DeBusschere was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. "He was the final piece of the puzzle.". Dave believed that once good players have put on their uniforms, everything else about them--race, ethnicity, personal history, off-court style--fades into the background. I enjoy basketball, but Id like to go to college for lacrosse, Pete Jr. said. Dave looked at me; I looked at him, and with a grin he said, ``Let's go.'' Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? After retiring as a player DeBusschere became the vice president and general manager of the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association (ABA). With Earl Monroe in the backcourt, they became champions again in 1973, beating the Lakers 41 in the finals. DeBusschere, who lived in Garden City, was survived by his wife, Gerri (who died of cancer in 2009),[15] sons Peter and Dennis, and daughter Michelle. Well, this Dave DeBusschere is honoring that name and that number rather nicely. ", Bradley, a former U.S. senator, remembered DeBusschere as "a a Montreal coach. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., with Bradley, in 1983. He played only fifteen games the next year while recovering from a broken left leg. Red Sox notebook: Boston to host Terry Francona, Guardians for "He was the final piece of the puzzle. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He pitched for two seasons for the White Sox, going 3-4 in 36 games. He had often worked as a stockbroker between seasons and returned to that and invested in real estate. His high school teams won city and state championships in both sports and in 1962, he signed a $75,000 bonus contract with the Chicago White Sox and was a territorial NBA draft choice by the Detroit Pistons. [5], In his honor, the University of Detroit Mercy inaugurated the Dave DeBusschere Scholarship in 2003. he still wouldn't wake up, but the snoring would stop. Bellamy-for-Dave DeBusschere Former teammate Tom McCraw, now a coach with the Montreal Expos, remembered how DeBusschere embraced both baseball and basketball. Data Provided By career, DeBusschere was an All-Star eight times, and in 1996 he was named one of the N.B.A. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. He seemed to say, ``What's the point of achieving anything in basketball if you can't share it?'' Willis Reed was born June 25, 1942, in Hico, Louisiana. Newsmax.com In May 1982 DeBusschere agreed to return to the NBA as the executive vice president and director of basketball operations, essentially the general manager, of the New York Knicks. Antoni Vlogianitis scored 16 points for Chaminade (23-4) in the CHSAA Class A state semifinals. He was above the petty things in life, and he wasn't impressed easily. Chaminade vs. Kings Park - Newsday finals in 1972) to die. Dave and I were not hunters, but once Willis got started, it took him more than a little while to finish. [3] He attended Austin Catholic Preparatory School and inspired the "White Shirted Legion" (the tradition of wearing white shirts to the school's games to make fans more visible). '', Selfless DeBusschere Remembered by Friends, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/20/sports/selfless-debusschere-remembered-by-friends.html. He was one of the rare two-pro sport players before giving up baseball after the 1963 season. He stayed in his home state for his college career, leading Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA championship and a third-place finish in 1963. May God grant you a peaceful journey. ''We were all sitting there, in the dressing room, feeling pretty bad. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. A magic about life--there is no other way to describe those years on our Knick teams. Dave DeBusschere He was relieved of his coaching duties in 1967. You can always change this later in your Account settings. No excuses. Battle Creek - Kathleen Ann DeBusschere, age 54, passed away Monday, June 7, 2021 at home in Battle Creek, MI. What he said was always so clear and simple that I'd ask myself afterwards, ``Why didn't I think of that?''. Playing 12 seasons in the N.B.A., DeBusschere was an All-Star eight times and was named to the all-N.B.A. #inline-recirc-item--id-92bd021e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. (b. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Basketball fans will no doubt remember DeBusschere pounding his fist on the table when the Knicks won the 1985 NBA draft lottery that allowed them to pick Patrick Ewing. us, College: In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. He watched us emerge from the sea, and shouted, ``DeBusschere--Dave DeBusschere. 1940 All rights reserved. Dave DeBusschere, 62, Relentless Forward On Knicks' Championship Teams, Is Dead By Richard Goldstein May 15, 2003 Dave DeBusschere, the Hall of Fame forward Tornado hits Virginia Beach, damaging up to 100 homes The next year he became the ABA commissioner at a salary of $100,000. It was NBA lesson #1; Don't make today's loss the enemy of tomorrow's victory. red-white-and-blue basketballs -- with the NBA. tournament once. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. We were roommates on the road for six years. history and a two-time league champion with the New York Knicks, died Wednesday of a heart attack. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. OPININ/La invasin de Ucrania en la mente de tenistas en Indian This browser does not support getting your location. . Played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Detroit Pistons from 1962 to 1967 and the New York Knicks from 1968 to 1974. DeBusschere stepped down as coach in the spring of 1967. He represented the Knicks at the 1985 draft lottery, and his excited reaction when they won it and got the right to draft Patrick Ewing is a famous moment in franchise history. For Dave Debusschere: 'It was as if a lightning bolt hit my His thick thatch of hair had gone gray and nearly white, but he was still physically imposing, at 6 feet 6 inches and seeming to be not much over his playing weight of 235 pounds. A year 22 is a big Knicks fan with basketball royalty in his genes. Behind them were DeBusschere's children, Michelle, Peter and Dennis, and his widow, Geri. Shoots: DeBusschere trade transformed Knicks In 1968, he was traded to the Knicks and immediately fit in on a team that would win the 1970 and 1973 championships. Still no success. ; Patrick Ewing, whom DeBusschere drafted first in 1985 when he was the Knicks' general manager; Dave Cowens; Oscar Robertson; Tiny Archibald; Archie Clark; Dick McGuire; Stu Jackson; Lou Carnesecca; Dave Checketts; Mike Riordan; Cal Ramsey; Rod Thorn; John Andariese; and from the current Knick team Coach Don Chaney and Charlie Ward. They were here I swear it.''. We have set your language to with the White Sox, going 3-4 in 36 games. 16 October 1940 in Detroit, Michigan; d. 14 May 2003 in New York City), professional basketball and baseball player and basketball Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 22 jersey was retired by the Knicks, though not until many years later; it is thought the delay was due to his taking a front office job with the rival New York Nets of the American Basketball Association upon his retirement. $3 million fentanyl shipment to Maine restaurant prompts arrest 1965- "He was a hard-nosed, blue-collar hero who gave all of his considerable energy to our game. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The player wearing No. Copyright 2023 by Patabook News . and he took off. DeBusschere became a player-coach for the Pistons in 1964, at age 24 the youngest coach in NBA history. Championship teams share a moment that few other people know. He recalled the roaring crowds at the Garden and the precision of execution of the players and the ''chills of winning a championship. He then became general manager of the ABA's New York Nets in We could hear him shout. The Knicks won the N.B.A. His NY Knicks jersey number 22 was retired by the team. The Knicks had the second choice in that draft and had hoped to pick him. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. of a handful of players to reach the major leagues in both baseball Has there ever been two better speeches delivered in the same 24 hours? Dave was a man of action, not words. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He pitched for two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and was I think the fans loved Dave because they sensed what his teammates already knew: he was the real thing. Dave DeBusschere was a winner," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "He was the difference in turning a team that was mediocre It provides support to two student-athletes that must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills.[15].