YouTube Gold: A Great Look Back At Dave DeBusschere’s Career

Many will have no idea who this guy was, but he was an absolutely incredible player.

Our guess is that JJ Redick’s infamous comment about plumbers and firefighters were made in a moment of frustration or irritation but it put a focus on recency bias. And it’s understandable because the game has changed so much. But it’s unfortunate, because there were some great, great players in the old days. And among those was the remarkable Dave DeBusschere.

A native of Detroit, DeBusschere was a natural athlete. He is one of only a handful of men who played in both the NBA and Major League Baseball former Duke star Dick Groat was among them, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pistons back when they were in Fort Wayne, Indiana).

DeBusschere was very loyal to his hometown, playing at the University of Detroit and then for the Pistons as well as the Chicago White Sox before he was traded to the New York Knicks in 1968.

He was great with the Pistons, becoming a player-coach at the age of just 24, but was the final piece that made the Knicks a championship level team. And check this out: when Willis Reed was injured in the 1973 Finals, DeBusschere, all 6-6 of him, was asked to guard the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. And to say the least, he surpassed expectations.

When you see this video, you’ll see a guy who had a lot of talent but who also worked very, very hard. Look at what his teammates had to say about him. The man was a gem.