Dave DeBusschere facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere, circa 1974
Personal information
Born	(1940-10-16)October 16, 1940 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	May 14, 2003(2003-05-14) (aged 62) New York City, U.S.
High school	Austin Catholic Preparatory School (Detroit, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Detroit Mercy (1959–1962)
NBA Draft	1962 / Pick: territorial pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career	1962–1974
Career history
As player:
1962–1968	Detroit Pistons
1968–1974	New York Knicks
As coach:
1964–1967	Detroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA champion (1970, 1973) 8× NBA All-Star (1966–1968, 1970–1974) 6× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969–1974) All-NBA Second Team (1969) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963) NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th) No. 22 retired by New York Knicks 2× Second-team All-American – NEA (1961, 1962) Second-team All-American – NABC (1961) 3× Third-team All-American – UPI (1960–1962) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC (1962) No. 22 retired by Detroit Mercy Titans Fourth-team Parade All-American (1958)
Career NBA statistics
Points	14,053 (16.1 ppg)
Rebounds	9,618 (11.0 rpg)
Assists	2,497 (2.9 apg)

David Albert DeBusschere (born October 16, 1940 – died May 14, 2003) was an amazing American athlete. He was a professional baseball player and a professional basketball player. He even coached basketball!

Dave DeBusschere played baseball for the Chicago White Sox in MLB in 1962 and 1963. He also played basketball in the NBA. He was with the Detroit Pistons from 1962 to 1968. Then he joined the New York Knicks from 1968 to 1974. He also coached the Pistons from 1964 to 1967.

DeBusschere was so good at basketball that he was put into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Later, in 2021, he was honored again as one of the league's best players ever on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Early Life and School Days

Dave DeBusschere was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Peter Marcell and Dorothy DeBusschere. He went to Austin Catholic Preparatory School. He was so inspiring that fans started a tradition called the "White Shirted Legion." They wore white shirts to games to show their support.

When he was a junior, he was named an all-state player. In his senior year (1957–58), he led his team to win the Michigan Class A high school basketball championship. He scored 32 points in that big game! His team, the Friars, beat Benton Harbor High School and his future NBA rival, Chet Walker.

College Sports Star

Dave DeBusschere was a star in both basketball and baseball at the University of Detroit. In basketball, he scored about 24 points per game. He helped his team reach the National Invitation Tournament twice. They also made it to the NCAA basketball tournament once.

He was also a great pitcher in baseball. He led the Titans to three NCAA baseball tournament appearances. This shows how talented he was in different sports.

Playing Professional Baseball

In 1962, the Chicago White Sox signed Dave DeBusschere to play baseball. He was a pitcher for them in 1962 and 1963. On August 13, 1963, he pitched a "shutout" game. This means the other team didn't score any runs against him! He only gave up six hits and struck out three batters.

He played in the White Sox's minor league teams for two more seasons. But then he decided to stop playing baseball. He wanted to focus on playing and coaching basketball instead. Dave DeBusschere is one of only 13 athletes who have played in both the NBA and Major League Baseball.

Becoming an NBA Legend

Playing for the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons chose Dave DeBusschere in the 1962 NBA draft. In his first season, he averaged 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was even named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Unfortunately, he got injured in his second season and only played 15 games. This made it a tough year for the Pistons.

In the 1964–1965 season, when he was only 24, he became the player-coach for the Pistons. This made him the youngest coach in NBA history! But coaching while playing was very hard, so he soon went back to being a full-time player. In 1968, he was traded to the New York Knicks.

Winning with the New York Knicks

Dave DeBusschere was known for his strong defense.

Dave DeBusschere joined other future Hall of Fame players on the Knicks. These included Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, and Walt Frazier. Together, they won the NBA championship in 1970. They beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970 NBA Finals.

With another great player, Earl Monroe, they won the championship again in 1973. They beat the Lakers 4–1 in the finals that year.

DeBusschere was put into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. He played for 12 years (1962–1974). He averaged 16.1 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was also chosen for eight NBA All-Star teams. In 1996, he became a member of the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was known for playing very tough defense. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team six times.

Life After Playing Basketball

Dave DeBusschere stopped playing basketball in 1974. The Knicks later retired his number 22 jersey to honor him. After retiring, he became the commissioner for the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1975. He helped the ABA and NBA merge together that year.

Later, he worked for the Knicks again in the 1980s. He was the assistant coach and director of basketball operations. He was the one who drafted Patrick Ewing, another Knicks legend, in 1985.

Remembering Dave DeBusschere

Dave DeBusschere passed away in May 2003 from a heart attack. He was in New York City. He was buried in Garden City, New York. He left behind his wife, Gerri, and his children, Peter, Dennis, and Michelle.

To honor him, the University of Detroit Mercy started the Dave DeBusschere Scholarship in 2003. This scholarship helps student-athletes who have good grades and show strong leadership skills.

Dave DeBusschere's NBA Stats

Here are some of Dave DeBusschere's statistics from his time playing in the NBA.

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1962–63	Detroit	80	—	29.4	.430	—	.718	8.7	2.6	—	—	12.7
1963–64	Detroit	15	—	20.3	.391	—	.581	7.0	1.5	—	—	8.6
1964–65	Detroit	79	—	35.1	.425	—	.700	11.1	3.2	—	—	16.7
1965–66	Detroit	79	—	34.1	.408	—	.659	11.6	2.6	—	—	16.4
1966–67	Detroit	78	—	37.1	.415	—	.705	11.8	2.8	—	—	18.2
1967–68	Detroit	80	—	39.1	.442	—	.664	13.5	2.3	—	—	17.9
1968–69	Detroit	29	—	37.7	.447	—	.723	12.2	2.2	—	—	16.3
1968–69	New York	47	—	39.4	.442	—	.682	11.4	2.7	—	—	16.4
1969–70	New York	79	—	33.3	.451	—	.688	10.0	2.5	—	—	14.6
1970–71	New York	81	—	35.7	.421	—	.696	11.1	2.7	—	—	15.6
1971–72	New York	80	—	38.4	.427	—	.728	11.3	3.6	—	—	15.4
1972–73	New York	77	—	36.7	.435	—	.746	10.2	3.4	—	—	16.3
1973–74	New York	71	—	38.0	.461	—	.756	10.7	3.6	.9	.5	18.1
Career		875	—	35.7	.432	—	.699	11.0	2.9	.9	.5	16.1
All-Star		8	1	20.9	.457	—	.750	6.4	1.4	.1	.0	9.6

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1963	Detroit	4	—	39.8	.424	—	.682	15.8	1.5	—	—	20.0
1968	Detroit	6	—	43.8	.425	—	.578	16.2	2.2	—	—	19.3
1969	New York	10	—	41.9	.351	—	.820	14.8	3.3	—	—	16.3
1970	New York	19	—	36.9	.421	—	.662	11.6	2.4	—	—	16.1
1971	New York	12	—	40.7	.416	—	.659	13.0	1.8	—	—	16.4
1972	New York	16	—	38.5	.450	—	.750	12.1	2.3	—	—	16.6
1973	New York	17	—	37.1	.442	—	.775	10.5	3.4	—	—	15.6
1974	New York	12	—	33.7	.380	—	.621	8.3	3.2	.6	.3	12.0
Career		96	—	38.4	.416	—	.698	12.0	2.6	.6	.3	16.0

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders