bill laimbeer

Center Jersey #(s):

40, 52 Height:

6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Weight:

260 lb (120 kg) Born: May 19, 1957 (1957-05-19) (age 51) Career information Year(s): 1979–1994 NBA Draft: 1979 / Round: 3 / Pick: 65 College: Notre Dame Professional team(s) Pinti Inox (1979-1980) Cleveland Cavaliers (1980-1981) Detroit Pistons (1981-1994) Career stats Points 13,790 Rebounds 10,400 Blocks 965 Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com Career highlights and awards 2x NBA Champion (1989, 1990) 4x NBA All-Star (1983-85, 1987)

William "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships. Initially raised in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Clarendon Hills, Laimbeer attended Palos Verdes High School in Southern California and then the University of Notre Dame. Laimbeer is currently the head coach of the Detroit Shock in the WNBA. Contents [hide] 1 Playing career 2 Post-NBA life 3 Notable on-court incidents 4 Other media 5 References 6 External links //

Playing career

Laimbeer was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1979. He played professionally in Italy for a year before returning to play for the Cavaliers in 1980. On February 16, 1982, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he would remain for the rest of his career. During his playing career, Laimbeer was one of the most notorious players in the NBA. While highly popular among Piston fans, Laimbeer was despised by opposing players and fans for committing hard fouls himself, while seeming to bait officials into calling fouls on opponents by flopping to the ground after slight contact. In the public eye, Laimbeer's reputation for physical play tended to overshadow his skills. Even his former teammate Dennis Rodman noted this in his book Bad As I Wanna Be, saying, "He (Laimbeer) was more than a thug, but that's what he'll be remembered for." Laimbeer was also the subject of criticism in the Beastie Boys' track "Tough Guy" from their 1994 album Ill Communication.[1] Laimbeer was one of the top outside-shooting centers of his era, draining over 200 three pointers for his career, and excelled at running the pick and roll with guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Then-head coach Chuck Daly utilized Laimbeer's skills by having him fade to the perimeter rather than roll to the basket. Laimbeer was selected to the NBA All-Star Game on four occasions (1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987) and finished among the league leaders in rebounding and free throw percentage several times, winning the rebound title in the 1985-86 season. Laimbeer started on the Pistons' 1989 and 1990 NBA championship teams.

Bill Laimbeer is the only player, other than his Detroit teammates, to have a winning record in the playoffs against NBA legends, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

Altogether, Laimbeer spent 14 seasons