RIP Bill Davidson

[Hank_Scorpio]

Pistons owner dies at 86

 

[mustangj17]

Awesome owner. Also owned the Tampa Lightning for a while.

 

[Dan Hickling]

His teams won both the Stanley Cup and the NBA Championship in the same season (same month maybe)

 

[silvershadow1981]

His teams won both the Stanley Cup and the NBA Championship in the same season (same month maybe)

Eight days apart. Lightning beat the Flames in Game Seven of the Cup Finals June 7, 2004. June 15, 2004, the Pistons finished off the Lakers in Game Five of the NBA Finals.

RIP, Mr. D.

 

[KJIM]

Believe the Shock won the WNBA title that year, too.

Mrs. Hockey and Mr. D in a week. Sad for metro Detroit and the entire sports world.

 

[Starman]

Built The Palace of Auburn Hills with his own money, not taxpayers', and made a mint.

When he bought the Pistons, they were the equivalent of the Memphis Grizzlies -- had never won a division title, only made the playoffs a handful of times in their history -- finishing .500 was a major miracle. They've been in solid contention for about 20 of the 30 years since. They've had a few dud stretches and appear to be entering another one, but overall he's got to know what he's doing.

 

[Football_Bat]

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

 

[Starman]

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

That's kinda looking like a wash these days as the current incarnation of the roster falls apart. Supposedly they're all lined up to make a major splash on the free agent market in the summer of 2010, but so are half the other teams in the league.

 

[Batman]

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

That's kinda looking like a wash these days as the current incarnation of the roster falls apart. Supposedly they're all lined up to make a major splash on the free agent market in the summer of 2010, but so are half the other teams in the league.

And getting Darko with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft is like being promised a million dollars if you can just hit the dartboard, and then you chunk it into the wall.

 

[Starman]

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

That's kinda looking like a wash these days as the current incarnation of the roster falls apart. Supposedly they're all lined up to make a major splash on the free agent market in the summer of 2010, but so are half the other teams in the league.

And getting Darko with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft is like being promised a million dollars if you can just the dartboard, and then you chunk it into the wall.

To be fair to Dumars, virtually every scout rated Darko as an el-primo prospect. Maybe not the No. 2 pick, but certainly a high lottery choice.

His big mistake, in the wake of that, was allowing Larry Brown to bury him down on the end of the bench, and never, ever playing him. Not that he would have developed into an all-star, but he might have become a passable player.

 

[slappy4428]

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

Jack McCloskey and Chuck Daly might beg to differ

 

[mustangj17]

Believe the Shock won the WNBA title that year, too.

Mrs. Hockey and Mr. D in a week. Sad for metro Detroit and the entire sports world.

You forgot that Chuck Daly announced he had pancreatic cancer, and the week before former Lion Corey Smith was lost at see. Sad week or two for Detroit sports.

His smartest move of all was hiring Joe Dumars.

That's kinda looking like a wash these days as the current incarnation of the roster falls apart. Supposedly they're all lined up to make a major splash on the free agent market in the summer of 2010, but so are half the other teams in the league.

And getting Darko with the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft is like being promised a million dollars if you can just hit the dartboard, and then you chunk it into the wall.

In a roundabout way the Darko pick may not be that bad. They won a title the next year, eventually traded him for a pick that was used on Stuckey.

Built The Palace of Auburn Hills with his own money, not taxpayers', and made a mint.

When he bought the Pistons, they were the equivalent of the Memphis Grizzlies -- had never won a division title, only made the playoffs a handful of times in their history -- finishing .500 was a major miracle. They've been in solid contention for about 20 of the 30 years since. They've had a few dud stretches and appear to be entering another one, but overall he's got to know what he's doing.

Dud stretches... a 30-52 season here or there but nothing bad like the Lions or Tigers went through. Bad stretches in the 90s were a few years getting the 8th seed in the East.

 

[Oscar Gamble]

His smartest move of all was <b><s>hiring Joe Dumars</s> not offering Isiah Thomas a front office position after Zeke's playing career was over.</b>

Fixed

 

[slappy4428]

His smartest move of all was <b><s>hiring Joe Dumars</s> not offering Isiah Thomas a front office position after Zeke's playing career was over.</b>

Fixed

Amen to that

 

[GB-Hack]

Given what's become of the Lightning isince they were sold last year, we're going to miss Davidson as much as anyone in Detroit will.

Yes, he rarely attended games here, but he put all the pieces in place for a successful franchise.