Bill Laimbeer at the White House after winning the WNBA Championship with the Detroit Shock.

William Laimbeer, Jr. (born May 19, 1957, in Boston, Massachusetts) is currently the head coach of the Detroit Shock in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and is also a former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Professional basketball player and coach Bill Laimbeer visits the White House on May 24, 2004 after winning the WNBA Championship as head coach of the Detroit Shock. ... Professional basketball player and coach Bill Laimbeer visits the White House on May 24, 2004 after winning the WNBA Championship as head coach of the Detroit Shock. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... “Boston” redirects here. ... The head coach in sports coaching is the coach who is in charge of the other coaches. ... The Detroit Shock is a Womens National Basketball Association team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... The Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an organization governing a professional basketball league for women in the United States. ... This article is about the sport. ... “NBA” redirects here. ...

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; in 1974 he played one of the Sleestak during the first season of the TV series Land of the Lost. Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Housing subdivision near Union, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Incorporated Village in 1924. ... Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California, USA (the others being Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (formerly Rolling Hills High School) and Rancho Del Mar High School. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... The University of Notre Dame IPA: is a Catholic[4] institution located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated section of St. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Land of the Lost was a 1974–1976 TV series relating the adventures of the Marshall family (including Will and Holly and their father, later replaced by their uncle). ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... Land of the Lost (1974–1976) is one in a variety of popular, uniquely produced childrens television series created and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. ...

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. He was 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. The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Associations (NBA) thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in Canada) can select players who wish to join the league. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1981-82 NBA Season was the 36th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. ... In basketball, a personal foul is a breach of the rules that concerns illegal personal contact with an opponent. ... Beastie Boys is a hip hop musical group from New York City, consisting of Michael Mike D Diamond, Adam MCA Yauch and Adam Ad-Rock Horovitz. ... Ill Communication is the fourth album by the Beastie Boys. ... The pick and roll (also called screen and roll or shortened to screen-roll) in basketball, is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender (rolls) to accept a pass. ... For the boxer, see Isiah Thomas (boxer). ... Joe Dumars (born May 24, 1963 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is the Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations and a former NBA basketball player. ... Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Chuck Daly (born July 20, 1930 in St. ... The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... A rebound, in some sports, is the retrieval of the ball after a missed shot, especially in basketball and netball. ... It has been suggested that Three point play be merged into this article or section. ... The 1985-86 NBA Season was the 40th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988-1989 NBA season Categories: | ... The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-1990 NBA season. ... Logo of the NBA Finals. ...

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. This article contains a trivia section. ... Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ...

Altogether, Laimbeer spent 14 seasons in the NBA, 12 of them with Detroit. Laimbeer became the 19th player in league history to amass more than 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. Laimbeer was most effective off the defensive glass, From 1982 to 1990 no player in the league totaled more defensive rebounds. His streak of 685 consecutive games played (which ended due to suspension) is the fourth longest in league history. Laimbeer retired early in the 1993-94 season at age 36, and his jersey number (40) was eventually retired by the Pistons. He remains the franchise's all-time leader in career rebounds. The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. ... The 1993-94 NBA season was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association. ...

Despite his statistics, his central role in the rise of the Pistons and their two world championships, and his legacy as one of the top centers of his era, Laimbeer would seem to be a longshot for the Hall of Fame. Basketball Hall of Fame Logo The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game. ...

Laimbeer's reputation as one of the Pistons' "Bad Boys" was such that in 1991 he even came to endorse a video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System called Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, a futuristic basketball game in which physical play is encouraged. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... “Computer and video games” redirects here. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. ... Bill Laimbeers Combat Basketball released in 1991 by Hudson Soft, this foot note of a SNES cart is a basketball video game with the main premise being to shove around opposing players in order to succeed. ...

Post-NBA life

Bill Laimbeer (right) with Detroit Shock assistant coaches Rick Mahorn and Cheryl Reeve

In 1994, Laimbeer and his father William Sr. co-founded Laimbeer Packaging Corp., a company located in Melvindale, Michigan, a Detroit suburb, producing corrugated cardboard boxes. The company struggled through the late 1990s and closed in early 2002. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 480 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (945 × 1181 pixel, file size: 110 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 480 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (945 × 1181 pixel, file size: 110 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Detroit Shock is a Womens National Basketball Association team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Melvindale is a city located in Wayne County, Michigan. ... Cardboard (called corrugated paper in the industry) is a heavy wood-based type of paper, notable for its stiffness and durability. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

His father was a ranking executive with the Owens-Illinois corporation, and it was said (only partly tongue-in-cheek) during his career that Laimbeer was the only NBA player who earned less money than his father. Owens-Illinois NYSE: OI is a Fortune 500 company that specializes in plastics and glass containers. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ...

After retiring from the game, Laimbeer maintained his ties to the Pistons as a broadcast commentator.

In the middle of the 2002 WNBA season, Laimbeer took over the head coaching position for the Detroit Shock. A year later, he led the franchise to its first WNBA championship and was named Coach of the Year that year. It marked the first time in WNBA history that a team other than Los Angeles or Houston won the title. On September 9, 2006 Laimbeer led the Shock to their second WNBA championship against the Sacramento Monarchs in 5 games. This is the second championship in 4 years. WNBA Championship Trophy The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), played under a best-of-five playoff format. ... WNBA coach of the year ... The Los Angeles Sparks are a Womens National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. ... The Houston Comets are a Womens National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas. ...

Laimbeer has talked about the possibility of one day coaching in the NBA. The New York Knicks, whose current team president is former Piston teammate Isiah Thomas, had considered Laimbeer as a possibility. The Pistons, presided by former teammate Joe Dumars, had considered the possibility of Laimbeer replacing departing coach Larry Brown, before ultimately hiring former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders. Laimbeer is a former color commentator for the Pistons and was a Studio analyst for ESPN in 2003. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Joe Dumars (born May 24, 1963 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is the Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations and a former NBA basketball player. ... Larry Brown For other people of the same name, see Larry Brown (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Flip Saunders Philip Flip Saunders (born February 23, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States [1]) is head coach of the NBAs Detroit Pistons and one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Continental Basketball Association. ... A color commentator (colour commentator in Canada), sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. ... ESPN/ESPN-DT, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an [[United States|Amer<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here--68. ...

Notable on-court incidents

• Fought with Larry Bird during Game 3 of the 1987 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons held at the Silverdome. Both Laimbeer and Bird were ejected.

• Was hit by Robert Parish during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals at the Boston Garden. No foul was called on Parish at the time. Though Laimbeer wanted a two-game suspension, the NBA suspended Parish for only one game.

• Was often blamed by Laker fans as being the player responsible for James Worthy's painful fall during Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals. The incident happened early in the game wherein Worthy landed on his hip during a rebound play that involved Laimbeer.

• Fought with Brad Daugherty in 1989. This incident led to a one-game suspension that ended Laimbeer's consecutive games-played streak at 685.

• Fought and wrestled with Charles Barkley during a regular-season game in 1990. Laimbeer and Barkley spoofed the incident in a cameo appearance in the 1991 comedy film Hot Shots!.

This article contains a trivia section. ... The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball center. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... James Ager Worthy (b. ... Bradley Lee Daugherty (born October 19, 1965 in Black Mountain, North Carolina) is an American former basketball player at the University of North Carolina and later with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Brad played basketball at Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain, North Carolina. ... Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. ... Hot Shots! is a 1991 comedy spoof which starred Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Jon Cryer, Kevin Dunn, and Bill Irwin. ...

Video Games

Bill Laimbeer enjoyed great success as a video game character in Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball Bill Laimbeers Combat Basketball released in 1991 by Hudson Soft, this foot note of a SNES cart is a basketball video game with the main premise being to shove around opposing players in order to succeed. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.lyricsdepot.com/beastie-boys/tough-guy.html

External links

• NBA Historical Profile
• WNBA Coaches Profile