Bill Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer is a former professional basketball coach and player who spent the majority of his career with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Detroit Pistons. Known for his physical style of play, he played a big part in the Pistons earning the nickname the “Bad Boys" in the mid-1980s before helping them win back-to-back championships and being named an NBA All-Star four times.

Laimbeer began his NBA career after being drafted in the third round (65th overall) by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1979 draft; he was later traded to Detroit. In 113 playoff games with the Pistons, he averaged 12.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. A fierce competitor, Laimbeer finished his career in 1993 with a 580-434 (.572) overall regular season record as a member of the Pistons. Recognized as one of the all-time best centers in franchise history, he became one of six Detroit players to have their number retired.

After his playing career ended, Laimbeer served as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2002 to 2009, coaching the team to three league championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. He was the head coach of the New York Liberty from 2013 to 2017 and also the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces from 2018 until 2021. He has twice been named the WNBA's Coach of the Year.