King has forged a good life for himself back home and, in the process, given New York basketball the transfusion it desperately needed.
Tag Archives: Detroit Pistons
Bill Laimbeer: The Interview, 1991
He’s easily the most-despised player in the NBA, and one of the most-hated athletes ever to play professional sports. That is, when he’s not performing in front of the home crowd.
Jimmy Walker: Play It Again Sam, 1968
“All I saw or heard was how inconsistent I was playing. But the only way I can play consistently is to have consistent time, and for the last two years, it hasn’t been.”
Adrian Dantley: Respect, 1989
“People don’t know me. They never have. They perceive. They guess. Because I don’t offer a lot of input, they go ahead and make up their mind about me anyway.”
Bill Laimbeer’s Greatest Hits, 1988
We can argue with some of what he does, but not with the consistency with which he does it. Laimbeer has played in 646 consecutive regular-season games. He has started 522 in a row. Those are the longest active streaks in the league.
Detroit Pistons: Called for Travelling, 1982
Dawn is breaking over another airport runway. The Pistons, on their way back to Detroit, have been up since 5:30 a.m., and they straggle down the nearly deserted corridor leading to their gate, suit bags slung over their shoulders, a duffel bag in one hand and a newspaper in the other.
Isiah Thomas: Is He the Pistons’ Savior? 1982
“He has charisma, an ability to inspire confidence in his teammates that only a few players have like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, or Julius Erving,” says Rod Thorn, the Chicago Bulls’ general manager.
Kevin Porter: The Game I’ll Never Forget, 1979
I was happy, too. Of course, I had reason to be happy. Having a game with a total productivity of 80 points doesn’t happen very often.
Joe Strawder: No Guarantees, 1968
I came to Pittsburgh, and Mr. Rubin was very fair. But I asked for a guarantee. Detroit could have sued me, and then I’d have been out of everything.”
Chico Vaughn and The Man, 1968
Chico, the Pipers’ old pro, knows every airport in America, not to mention the motels and arenas.