Legends profile: Dave DeBusschere

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Dave DeBusschere was given the nickname “Big D,” with the “D” representing Defense.

DeBusschere, a tenacious and hard-nosed forward, was renowned as one of the greatest defenders in the history of the game. He was honored with a position on the All-Defensive First Team for the initial six years of the award’s inception. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 225 pounds, DeBusschere might have been average in size, but his work ethic was unparalleled. Throughout his 12-year tenure in the NBA, he embodied the quintessential blue-collar basketball star.

DeBusschere, with his dark hair and rugged looks, patrolled the basketball court with a resolute scowl, clenched jaw, and a sweat-soaked jersey. Opponents immediately knew they were in for a tough game when they took him on. His distinctive style was a signature of the Knicks in the 1970s and he continues to be a notable figure in New York’s history, even after his demise from a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 62.

“There’s not one other guy in this league who gives the 100 percent DeBusschere does, every night, every game of the season, at both ends of the court,” Bill Bridges of the Atlanta Hawks once told Newsday.

Alternatively, the “D” could represent Detroit, the city where DeBusschere grew up and gained popularity as a folk hero. He excelled in both baseball and basketball during his youth. As a student at Austin Catholic High School, he guided its basketball team to win a state championship. Furthermore, he was the standout pitcher for a baseball team that clinched the city championship, and also led a local team to win a national junior championship.

Numerous colleges sought after DeBusschere, however, he chose to stay local and enrolled at the University of Detroit. During his time there, he achieved an average of 24.8 points per game as the university participated in one NCAA tournament and made two NIT appearances. Additionally, DeBusschere excelled as a pitcher for the Titans’ baseball team, which competed in three NCAA tournaments.

After graduating in 1962, DeBusschere had to choose between baseball and basketball. Despite basketball not being as popular as baseball in the early 1960s, DeBusschere chose to pursue both sports. He accepted a signing bonus of $75,000 from the Chicago White Sox and a $15,000 contract from the Detroit Pistons, who had drafted him under a territorial pick.

For four seasons, DeBusschere was a professional baseball player. In 1963, as a right-handed pitcher known for his lively fastball, he was summoned by the White Sox and achieved a 3-4 record with a 3.09 ERA. In the following two years, he recorded a 25-9 record for the Indianapolis farm club of Chicago’s Class AAA.

DeBusschere’s NBA career began on a high note. In the 1962-63 season, his average was 12.7 ppg, leading to his selection for the NBA All-Rookie Team. DeBusschere showed impressive offensive skills right from the start. Despite battling for many of his points under the basket, he demonstrated his ability to score with a decent, albeit inconsistent, long-range shot. He adeptly handled the ball for a big man, and was even occasionally used as a guard by the Pistons. Moreover, DeBusschere displayed an unusual level of maturity for a rookie. He might have appeared like a bruiser, but on the court, he was intelligent, tactical and maintained a cool head.

In DeBusschere’s rookie season, the Pistons made the playoffs. However, misfortune occurred in the 1963-64 season when DeBusschere broke his leg and was limited to 15 games, leading to Detroit only achieving 23 victories. Despite DeBusschere starting the 1964-65 season in good health, the team had a disappointing start. In a surprising move in November, Pistons owner Fred Zollner appointed DeBusschere as player-coach. At the age of 24, DeBusschere set the record for being the youngest coach in NBA history.

People speculated that DeBusschere was offered a coaching position to lure him away from baseball. If that was the case, the strategy was successful. Even though DeBusschere played another season of minor-league baseball, he soon put an end to his dual-sport career by declining a promotion from the White Sox at the end of 1965. He was reportedly displeased with Chicago for not retaining him on the major league roster that spring. As the basketball training camp was starting, his coaching services were required, forcing him to make a choice.

DeBusschere’s coaching tenure did not yield successful results. His Detroit squads were at a disadvantage due to their deficiency in talent, with DeBusschere being the notable exception. When he inquired which Pistons other teams’ general managers would be interested in trading for, the unanimous response was always: “You.”

DeBusschere’s effectiveness was likely limited by his inexperience and youth, as he was just 18 months out of college when he took on coaching responsibilities. He struggled for nearly three seasons in this role before being replaced by Donnis Butcher following the 1966-67 season. Despite a coaching record of 79-143, DeBusschere didn’t leave the Pistons completely, instead choosing to retire from coaching and continue as a player.

DeBusschere often said that he learned a great deal about basketball from his experience as a coach but that he found it burdensome. “It was a relief to give up coaching,” he later told Newsday. “I realize now there were things I wasn’t mature enough to handle. As soon as I was back on my own again, I had my best season. I was scoring better, rebounding better, defending better and doing everything else better.”

Over the years, DeBusschere’s talents were coveted by a number of teams, but the New York Knicks were more persistent than most. Every year the Knicks tried to pry him loose from Detroit but were continually rebuffed. “DeBusschere was our Holy Grail,” Knicks coach William “Red” Holzman later revealed in his book, A View from the Bench.

However, when Paul Seymour took over as the Pistons’ coach, the situation altered. Keen on reshaping the club, he was interested in new players, with DeBusschere being the team’s most appealing star. Eventually, in December 1968, Detroit consented to trade him to the Knicks in exchange for center Walt Bellamy and guard Howard Komives.

DeBusschere felt as though he was given a new lease on life when he escaped to New York. He expressed his deep frustration as a coach, constantly losing. Reflecting on his career as a player, he could only recall six years of defeat. Therefore, when the trade was announced, he was elated to be joining a winning team.

The Knicks were optimistic that DeBusschere would strengthen their frontcourt and support a championship run. With Bellamy’s departure, Willis Reed was able to switch from forward to center. DeBusschere’s power and rebounding skill as a power forward enabled the Knicks to field sharp-shooter Cazzie Russell and finesse player Bill Bradley at the other forward position.

DeBusschere had immediate success in New York, ending the 1968-69 season with an average of 16.3 points per game and earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. He also contributed to the Knicks’ progress to the Eastern Division finals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in six games.

Despite not being an exceptional shooter, DeBusschere had the capability of scoring 20 points each game. He usually scored in sporadic bursts, occasionally firing a series of long jumpers from the corner. Like Bradley, he was skilled at navigating behind picks to find a gap where he could shoot a 5-foot jumper. He was also adept at maneuvering past his opponent to tap in an offensive rebound.

DeBusschere’s primary duty with the Knicks was to secure crucial rebounds and neutralize the best forward of the rival team. Leveraging his coaching experience, he served as a defensive spark plug, directing a shrewd and crafty Knicks squad that prioritized team objectives over personal accolades.

“Holzman confessed, “I wasn’t aware of his exceptional skills until we recruited him. I was cognizant of his outstanding talent, but I didn’t realize he was this phenomenal. I guess this is a common phenomenon, you underestimate a player’s potential until you witness their performance on a daily basis.”

Richie Guerin, the ex-coach of the Hawks, echoed Holzman’s high praise of DeBusschere, stating, “Dave is among the top 10 forwards I have ever witnessed playing basketball, and he could potentially be one of the top five or six I’ve ever seen.”

The talented Knicks, during 1969-70, found themselves in the limelight. The Knicks of that era were characterized by Walt “Clyde” Frazier, a stylish guard known for his flamboyant wardrobe, who was the team’s mainstay. “Dollar Bill” Bradley, a Rhodes Scholar, was a thoughtful player who would later earn respect as a U.S Senator and a potential presidential candidate, but during that time, he was an exceptional passer and shooter. The core of the team was the courageous 6-foot-9 Reed.

The physical DeBusschere was indeed the final piece in the Knicks’ championship puzzle. “Sometimes he’ll score only four or six points in 40 minutes,” Holzman told Newsday. “People say to me: ‘How come you play him so long?’ I say because he does a hell of a rebounding job for us, a hell of a job on defense for us.”

DeBusschere instantly resonated with the fans. Unlike Frazier and Bradley, DeBusschere was perceived as a “regular guy” – a straightforward, hardworking individual who relished the simple pleasure of drinking beers in the locker room post-games.

In the 1969-70 season, the Knicks certainly met their fans’ hopes. Madison Square Garden resonated with shouts of “DEE-fense” as DeBusschere and his team stormed through the league, securing a 60-22 record. In the playoffs, they overpowered the Baltimore Bullets in seven games, swiftly defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and Lew Alcindor (who would later be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in five games, and proceeded to The Finals to compete against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The final round of the championship was filled with intense drama. It showcased the unified teamwork of the Knicks pitted against the star-studded glamour of the Lakers, who were spearheaded by renowned superstars Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. The concluding match of the seven-game series has since become a legend.

Despite being injured and anticipated to be on the sidelines, Reed surprised both players and spectators when he stepped onto the court at Madison Square Garden at the beginning of the game. Even though he was limping, he managed to score the first two baskets for the Knicks and motivated the team to secure a 113-99 victory.