B&G Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Wow, this is so sad. Debusschere was an "all-out" guy and a great NBA player and coach. Only 62. http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/articles/20030514/473567.html Former Knicks star DeBusschere dies NEW YORK -- NBA Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere, who won two championships with the New York Knicks before becoming the youngest coach in league history, is dead at 62, the Knicks said Wednesday. The team did not immediately announce a cause or time of death. DeBusschere's exploits in the world of sports also included a stint as commissioner of the ABA and parts of two seasons as a major league pitcher with the Chicago White Sox in 1962-63. But it was in basketball that DeBusschere excelled. He gave up baseball after two seasons and a 3-4 record in 36 games to concentrate on his NBA career. By 1964, he was player-coach of the Detroit Pistons, becoming at age 24 the youngest to guide a team. He played six full seasons for the Pistons before being traded in 1968 to the Knicks. In New York, the 6-6 forward teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Bill Bradley to win championships in 1970 and 1973. DeBusschere was elected to the Hall in 1983 after playing 11 seasons in the NBA. In 1997, he was picked as one of the 50 greatest players in league history. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drex Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Truly sad ....my condolences are with his family and friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennesseeCarl Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 I remember him well. Those early 1970s Knicks teams were legendary. Dave'll be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief skin Posted May 16, 2003 Share Posted May 16, 2003 I remember watching him play back then the Knicks were a d@mn good team. Sorry to hear he passed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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