Dave DeBusschere

Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere circa 1974
Personal information
Born	(1940-10-16)October 16, 1940 Detroit, Michigan
Died	May 14, 2003(2003-05-14) (aged 62) New York City, New York
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school	Austin Catholic Preparatory School (Detroit, Michigan)
College	Detroit (1959–1962)
NBA draft	1962 / Pick: Territorial
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career	1962–1974
Position	Power forward / Small forward
Number	22
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, 1969–1974) 6× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969–1974) All-NBA Second Team (1969) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team No. 22 retired by the 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
Career NBA statistics
Points	14,053 (16.1 ppg)
Rebounds	9,618 (11.0 rpg)
Assists	2,497 (2.9 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006

David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional National Basketball Association player and coach and Major League baseball player. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

DeBusschere was born in Detroit to parents Peter Marcell and Dorothy Debusschere. He attended Austin Catholic Preparatory School and inspired the "White Shirted Legion" (the tradition of wearing white shirts to the school's games to make fans more visible). As a junior, he was named all-state, and in his senior year of 1957–58, in just the school's third year of organized basketball, he led his team to the Michigan Class A high school basketball championship, scoring 32 points despite fouling out midway through the fourth quarter as the Friars defeated Benton Harbor High School and Debusschere's future NBA rival forward Chet Walker.

DeBusschere starred in both basketball and baseball at the University of Detroit. He averaged 24 points a game in basketball, helping Detroit reach the National Invitation Tournament twice and the NCAA basketball tournament once. He also pitched the Titans to three NCAA baseball tournament berths.

In 1962, DeBusschere was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent. He was a pitcher for the White Sox from 1962–63. He pitched a shutout on August 13, 1963, against the Cleveland Indians, giving up six hits, one walk and striking out three. In 22 career at bats, he had only one hit, a single off Bennie Daniels on July 17, 1963. He pitched in the White Sox minor league system for two more seasons before giving up pitching to focus on both playing and coaching basketball.