Today's rules would keep in check. Huge fines and multiple games suspensions a lots of them on a daily basis. Starting with his spitting on the Boston Garden floor!!! They charge him a fine for spitting on floor as indecent behavior. If the rule does not exist then create it and call it the Laimbeer rule #1!!!Lol!!!!!
@Crazy Cooter that's not true. there's footage of him sliding his foot under jumping players, hoping they would get harmed when they came down. like ewing
@Crazy Cooter Lol I love Laimbeer but that's bs, we've seen him know he has no chance chasing guys like MJ down but intentionally go for closelines, he has thrown punches at players, he has kneeled on all 4s under players landings intentionally to cut their legs out from under them and much more. He definitely tried to take players out on several occasions. Pistons will deny it but we all know the rule of only the first foul counts was real. If you foul a player hard they can only call one foul so everyone else would make sure they hit you at the same time to rough you up or even hurt you lol it's hella smart and I have to give it to them but we that was a real thing.
He was a great player. He won 2 championships. He was an inspiring leader. He never pointed his finger after a foul into his opponents face to further irritate him. Just think about it…
Bad boys were hated bcos they shut jordan down and taught him the only way to the mountain top is thru Detroit and he couldnt do it by himself. Parrish snaked laimbeer from behind now that was dirty the knicks played physical and oakley who played for the bulls was tbe enforcer starks rodman everyone played rough. The pistons took no prisoners won back to back cha.pionships they were good bill did what he was paid to do mahorn rodman salley thomas dumars set the tone everyone in those days grew up playing pysical rough basketball Ghetto ball but some players just cried louder he never backed down from anyone not even barkley
It says a lot that, even decades later, there’s still dozens of former NBA players in their 60s and 70s who would punch Bill Laimbeer in the face if given the opportunity.
Agreed. Just like the NFL. Leagues just don't put up with this sort of stuff anymore. Just ask Vontaze Burfict. You simply cannot play in 2019 the way Laimbeer did.
that would be around an 8 and a half year ban.... and one thing would be responsible... you don't get banned for a big cumulative number of things totaled up over time...... Maybe you could say he would've been suspended every other game, or he would never play consecutive games because he'd do things to get himself suspended every game.
@Da Sh You're literally agreeing with the poster, though. That's the entire point: the rules of today's game have changed to disallow this style of play. The point isn't to argue with the literal 685 games that were cited. That's just obvious hyperbole. The point is that you can't play like a Monte Burns hired goon anymore. Either Laimbeer wouldn't be the Laimbeer we watched in the 80s/90s or he'd be suspended. And that is, I believe, your point: Laimbeer (and Mahorn and others) would be smart enough to adjust their styles of play. But the end is the same: you can no longer play like Laimbeer did.
@@coolkid5924 what? No. It is that he probably was sneeky. Dirty in ways that make you unsure. And in the 1980s the game was tough. Toughness was allowed if is part of legal defence
@@innosanto WTF!!! SNEAKY!!! HEY MORON !!!! PASS THAT WHAT U R SMOKING FOOL!!!! PASS IT SO WE ALL CAN LIE AND BECOME DISALLUNSIONAL LIKE YOU!!! THE ONLY REASON THAT LOWLIFE SCUM GOT AWAY WITH BEING DIRTY IS HIS SKIN COMPLEXION !!! THAT IS IT!!! HE WAS ALLOWEDTO YOU DUMB FUCK!!!! DAMM YOU ARE STUPID!!! SNEAKY!!! WTF IS THIS A LITTLE KIDS GAME!!!! YOU MORON!!!
@Tom Platz From what I read, Laimbeer set a pick in practice that broke Thomas' rib. Laimbeer later elbowed Thomas in the rib and that was what started the fight in which Thomas broke his hand.
I'll never forget the first time I saw Laimbeer and Larry Bird on the court! You could just FEEL something bad was going to happen and sure enough these two don't get along even today!
I like Laimbeer because he's pretty much a classic, stereotypical 80s villain on a basketball court. Not the kind of modern, sympathetic villain with complex motives and noble causes behind their wicked deeds, but the simple one who just wants to take over the world, or in Bill's case, win basketball games, by any means necessary and doesn't care what anyone thinks of them. He even has a classic villain backstory, an arrogant rich kid who's father was CEO of a multinational corporation. He's like the anti-Larry Bird.
I liked the fact that this video touched on the fact that Laimbeer was a great player. He was a smart, tough, consistent presence in the paint and a fricking assassin from the three point line. His skills are often overlooked.
Bill went to my high school. He lead our team to the large school CIF championship in southern CA. We beat a stacked Verbum Dei team with two future NBA players (David Greenwood, and Roy Hamilton). And he played within what was allowed. He had good post moves on the block, could hit the open shot, and made free throws. His defense was solid, and fundamental. In high school they didn't allow what the NBA allowed at that time, and Bill didn't play like that in high school. In the NBA, Bill just adapted to the violent game of the league at the time, and took it to the limit of what the league was allowing. You know he was also receiving a lot of punishment at the time. Often he was retaliating for what was done to him. or his teammates. Bill was a product of what the league was allowing. The league was full of enforcers at that time with Maurice Lucas, Jeff Ruland, Tree Rollins, Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone, Carl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kermit Washington, and yes Bird, and McHale. They were all giving out the cheap shots and physical stuff. The league just let it get farther and farther out of hand, and the Pistons just learned from everyone else and then just embraced it.
@@arizjones Bill is a bitter old man. The NBA ended up blackballing him because he was a punk and is one to this day. He was an ungracious winner and a sore loser. It eats at him that he had to go to the WNBA to get a job coaching. That is what happens when you have no redeeming value. There were other tough guys back in the day but no one went out of their way to intentionally try to hurt the opposing player like Lambeer did when he undercut Ewing. Listen to him now and he is an old bitter excuse for a man.
thats false information. his father was a ceo and wealthy however in an interview bill said that he had a higher salary than his father did in his rookie season. get your facts right
@@joeagnolin26 His father, William Laimbeer Sr., was an Owens-Illinois executive who rose as high as company president. The younger Laimbeer once famously joked, "I'm the only player in the NBA who makes less money than his father''. Sounds like you missed this one.
It wasn't just his physical nature that made it difficult, but it was his way of playing psychological "head games" with opponents. He and Dennis Rodman (later, with the Bulls) were good at doing that.
Did you actually ever play basketball? Lambeer never tried to block anyone's shot. He went after their faces. He submarined Ewing. If you played basketball and someone played like that you would punch him in the face. He was an ungracious winner and a sore loser. Listen to him now and you hear a bitter old man.
Just saw an interview with John Salley where he is talking about the head games the Piston players would bull with their garbage talk. I forget the opposing big man they were working, but Salley is telling the guy that Rodman is checking him out. Almost on cue, Rodman comes up behind the guy and stage whispers to to Salley that the guy has pretty legs. Just warped the guy's mind. The clip showed him cursing at Salleya and Rodman from the bench after their little 'talk'. The Pistons had a game within a game going. None of them were dummies. All of them were fully aware what their team goals were and what Chuck Daily envisioned their individual roles to play. And if they didn't play their role, they were gone from the Pistons, as was Kelly Tripuka as good a shooter as he was.
@@cdjhyoung I don’t really care what Salley said and he also couldn’t dribble. I played until I was in my forties and I have watched every NBA finals since 1965. One of my friend submarined me in a pickup game. I said to him if you ever do that again I am going to kick the shit out of you. His response was “ I was trying to get into his head”. Sound familiar? The next day I played another pickup game and we outscored them 20-1. I scored 7 baskets to his 0. He shut his mouth from then on. If you have to play dirty to compete you suck.
It's one of those factors people forget when comparing eras by simply looking at numbers: It's a whole different game when you know there is somebody like Laimbeer out there waiting for you. You just can't get as loose and comfortable. Now imagine a whole team with that mentality.
Did he teach them how to undercut other players and to play dirty like he did? Or did he try to rehab his image by actually teaching real hoops? Because he was a scummy player, so which way did he go after he made his millions?
I'm able to recognize he was a talented player and later became a very successful coach yet still hate his guts for being such a degenerate asshole who tried to ruin other players' careers.
I'm from Detroit and grew up as a boy during the Bad Boy days. Best yrs of my life. I cried tears in 87' when Detroit lost to Boston, over one little mistake. We won the next two championships in a row , than got robbed on a three-peat. I met Bill back in 2011 at a youth basketball type event, He was really cool with me and I got a autograph. I'm thinking if I wasn't excited to meet him and not a true fan , and were to come at him negatively he would of let me know. He's a big dude. Whatever people choose to call him & label him as, Well I guess he has earned it fair & square!
There was no robbing on the threepeat. The Bulls wiped the Piston's tails up and down the floor in 4 games. Even Chuck D admitted the Bulls were far superior at that point in every way.
@@whatareyoulookingat908 Dude he's talking about the 88 finals there was a phantom call against the pistons they were a few seconds away from winning the championship up by 1... Then bam the ref calls a foul but there wasn't anything to call and put the Lakers at the line. They make both win the game then pistons lost the 7th.
Laimbeer= great team mate. Listening to John Salley about what it was like to walk into the Piston's locker room. Other teams it was about last night's party or the groupy some one hit on. The Pistons, with Laimbeer leading the discussion was about which broker to hook up with or protecting your earnings for the future. He grew up with wealth and used that knowledge to help educate his team mates. Odd for his team mates. Then he'd go out every night and do the grunt work setting screens and protecting the other shooters. It wasn't pretty, not kind, but if you were playing the Pistons you knew what was coming. It was up to you to stay out of the way, or play better than the Bad Boys. I met Laimbeer once when he was being friendly and wearing a business suite. Don't think I'd have wanted to face him if he were upset, or was defending the basket.
I dealt with Laimbeer in person a few times back when he ran a company in the Detroit area after his playing days... and to be honest... he struck me as right on that border between decent guy and prick. For the most part, an average joe. All that said, he was a MUCH better basketball player than anybody gives him credit for. First, he was a center in the 80s that shot 33% from 3 point distance. That's unicorn levels of rarity. Second, he took an INSANE amount of punishment. If you stumble across videos of Dennis Rodman taking charges, Laimbeer taught him that shit... he was a master at planting his feet a moment before contact. Third, he had zero vertical but boxed out like nobody else and was a very productive rebounder. Fourth, he was a dirty bum who hacked and tripped and elbowed on the regular... but in Detroit, he was our dirty bum. Laimbeer gets the press because the Bad Boy Pistons embraced it, but the NBA was MUCH rougher than it is today... especially come playoff time. Plenty of players on plenty of teams were dirty when they needed to be. Parrish, Rambis, Jabbar, Cartwright, Malone they all threw dirty elbows, they all committed cheap fouls, they were all dirty... Laimbeer might have been the dirtiest of them all... but the reason he is remembered is because he didn't shy away from it.
@@control_the_pet_population I saw a recent interview about that hard foul riff. He pointed out that, yes, he fouled hard. It was intended as a warning to stay out of the paint. He always aimed high, never cutting the legs out from under the opposing players. He wasn't trying to end careers, just send a message. And you are right, for a guy that couldn't sky, he sure found ways to come down on guys going up to score. You're right about how 'dirty' the rest of the league played. Detroit wore the Bad Boys tag with pride, but elbow for elbow, Boston was right there with them in dirty play.
It's hard to conceive a tough as nails white guy that feared no one you have to say he was dirty. He was a clean cut rich kid that could play the greats and knock them down to size.
@NonyaBusiness! Bill Laimbeer wasn't any dirtier than Charles Oakley or Karl Malone... hell, Malone and Stockton both were dirty as fuck. Again, Laimbeer and the Pistons embraced it... they welcomed the bad press, turned it into motivation... but Riley's Knicks a few years later were arguably worse. Motumbo was arguably worse. Also, Laimbeer was a 6'11 guy that shot 33% from 3pt range. In today's game, he'd likely be more valuable then he was in the 80s. A solid positional rebounder on one end of the floor, a solid pick setter and deep shot threat on the other end. Also, fuck Larry Bird's revisionist bullshit. He'd undercut and clothesline anybody that pissed him off. They were all dirty bums in the 80s that would get suspended every other start in today's game. Go back even earlier, check out some of those dirtbag 76ers teams from the early 80s... some of their playoff games back then wouldn't have made it to halftime because everybody would have already been ejected for intentional fouls. Also also, fuck Pippen and Jordan... another Malone / Stockton styled pair of "who me?" assholes who tripped and poked and clutched and elbowed constantly.
Bill's son played little league for the same org that I played for, although his son was a year or two younger than me. But me and my friend Mike went over and said hi...he saw us coming and gave us a quick high-five and then immediately went back to watching the game. We were like, "Welp, that was fun." haha
@@neodelospobres4908 Nah, but people like you are what makes him a great villain, you're supposed to hate him. How is he a chicken when he was the one picking fights with dudes bigger and stronger than him?
@@localneo-graphic4647 it's people like you who make him brave. I didn't see him fighting or even trying to hit Malone when he kicked Isiahs ass. Not even a try, all he did was complain with the referees. A real fighter would've knocked down Karl. Buy bullies are that way, they always pick on the weak.
As an impressive as the ironman feat of 685 games straight is, I still find the fact that he did it without suspension rather than injury even more impressive. If someone played like that today, they would be would be getting fined more than they get paid, and play like 30 games a season. Aside from that, his actual basketball skill, the part that didn't involve flagrant fouls, would be perfect in today's League. I also find it impressive that he went from being a soft rich white kid to a guy that turned basketball into a combat sport and became the leader of one of the most hood teams in the NBA.
If he played in today's game, he wouldn't be getting fouled. He wouldn't play, PERIOD! Hahahaha, he'd be thrown out of so many games he'd have to retire.
I'm not sure how everyone equates growing up rich to automatically being soft. If dad raised him to be tough and/or aggressive, or those things were just in his nature, $ doesn't much matter.
@@johnboehmer6683 I think it's because people assume those who grow up poor have a dangerous or violent upbringing in bad areas. Rich people can afford to have a more pampered upbringing. Of course, the reality doesn't fit the stereotypes.
You never watched him play. He was one of the smartest players on the floor. He should be in the hall of fame. He was a good post player, a great rebounder, excellent defender and could pass well. He changed the game because he could shoot the 3 pointer as a center, and also perfected 'the flop'. He actually played within the rules of the time and within his abilities. And I think more then anything he took a bunch of pressure off the rest of the team and got them to gel. More then personal accolades, he wanted to win. Most of the 'hard' fouls were trying to rattle the other team. He was deceptive and used the fouls wisely to rattle the other players. Other times he would back away and they heard footsteps and missed the easy shot. It was mind games more then anything. Bird is still pissed at Laimbeer claiming he was dirty, but I suspect it was because Bird couldn't ever rattle him.
He actually deserves to be in the hall of fame. Every city hated the Pistons because they shut them down and quite regularly held teams with great offensives to under 70 points
Never thought Laimbeer was HOF worthy until recently. With all the garbage they been putting in the Basketball HOF recently I definitely believe Laimbeer, Marques Johnson and Shawn Kemp should be in
The Pistons were so good that they kept Jordan out of the Nba finals for 7 years, so good that they had a hall of famer like Dennis Rodman coming off of the bench. laimbeer was also the first three point shooting center.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 no biggie. I didn't see whatever you mistyped any way. I was pointing out the fact that no team from the Western Conference could do anything about an Eastern Conference team until they met in the finals anyway.
Bullshit they just gave flagrant fouls smashing anyone who dunks or lay ups. That doesnt take much talent. It is funny the flagrant foul was put into effect in the 90-91 season. The season Jordan got pass the pistons
as a long time sixer fan this decade was right in my wheel house and i never i had issue with bill in fact when rick got traded to us i loved what he brought. So being just a fan no issues i can see where players where worried about there long term health with him on the court but sitting courtside and feeling no effects night after night of course i loved it.
I remember him being extremely physical but I also remember him being a great shooter and rebounder. I also remember he came from a well to do family. I think they were millionaires.
@@448DamonXX well that's true id be a joke on the court that wasn't my sport but the sport I do do I would do better with my wisdom AFL check it out real football
@@jaykecraig6708 Lebron is a athletic 6’8 250 pound pure muscle SF who can guard any position on the court and play any position put him in any era he would dominate same with players like MJ Magic Bird Kobe etc they are goats and would do good no matter what era
I loved watching Laimbeer and the Pistons back in those days. He was awesome. I miss that style of basketball and so glad he played back in the days and not now.
I remember Bill Laimbeer playing and hitting 3's in the 1980's. I just can't understand why a solid player like him had to be such a dirty player! I know sometimes players have to do certain things, but Laimbeer was there to hurt people.
Watching the NBA now with their load management and whining stars getting 150 million dollars to basically whine and complain and date porn stars but forgetting to actually play good basketball....makes me miss Bill Laimbeer form Detroit Pistons. He was a dirty player yes, but quite durable, gave as good as he got, and will always be there in the end to grind it out. They made 3 straight NBA Finals, winning 2 and losing a close one against the Lakers. He dropped Brad Daugherty with one punch! A 7 foot tall, 250 pounder for Pete's sake! I saw the video on TH-cam. Anyways, Laimbeer might be classified as a Goon/Enforcer. But I would nominate him to the Hall Of Fame. 2 NBA rings, 4 time All-Star, 3 Time WNBA Champ. He is a winner that's for sure!
He wasn't trying to hurt people, he was trying to get in their heads. He wanted the other players to focus on him and the physical war, and take their focus off of playing basketball. Bill was a product of what the league was allowing. The league was full of enforcers at that time with Maurice Lucas, Jeff Ruland, Tree Rollins, Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone, Carl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kermit Washington, and yes Bird, and McHale. They were all giving out the cheap shots and physical stuff. The league just let it get farther and farther out of hand, and the Pistons just learned from everyone else and then just embraced it.
If you really analyze his game he was mediocre. He could not put the ball on the floor and drive, he had no post up game and he was at best an average passer. Defensive rebounds are overrated. You are in the box out position as soon as the shot goes up. He had to play dirty to compete. If you have to play dirty to compete then you suck.
Im from Detroit & watched a lot of laimbeer, Yes he was dirty but he was also very smart & talented. He would hit numerous big shots, always hustled and never played lazy even when the game didn't matter.
@Bob S Lol.. He coached a championship team. Sure, it wasn't NBA , but still. The Detroit shock the WNBA were the best contenders in there league for years with Bill as there coach. Detroit & Los Angeles were the top 2 contenders. Your comment is pretentious and lacking of intelligence
Laimbeer can definitely lay claim to the title of "Dirtiest Player in NBA History" - Larry Bird nailed it when he said that the difference between Laimbeer and other very physical players who would commit very hard fouls was that, "(those other players) would hit you hard, but they wouldn't try to MAIM you - Laimbeer would". He constantly fouled players trying to inflict serious physical injury, even possibly career-ending injuries. He probably holds the record for obvious intentional fouls where he wasn't even trying to make it look like he was going for the ball, like trying to block a shot - No, instead, he'd just flatten a player, as hard as he could. The fouls he committed might have easily ended the careers of greats like MJ and Larry Bird. Laimbeer was just a nasty guy - there's no excuse for the dirty way he played - of course, he was a perfect fit for Detroit, where the fans and his fellow players cheered on his dirty style of play. In my book, he's in the Hall of Fame - no, not the NBA Hall of Fame - the Asshole Hall of Fame. Showed his true colors when he slunk off the court before the game was over when the Bulls finally swept Detroit - THAT was a great day for the NBA, when the classy Bulls sent Detroit OUT of the championship - it was like someone standing up to the school bully - like most bullies, when confronted by someone he couldn't beat up, Laimbeer showed he was really a coward. If he played in today's NBA, the way refs call games now, he'd foul out in the first quarter of almost every game.
He deserved to be hated. His rudeness and cheap dirty plays showed his real disgusting ways to aim for the win. Hope the generation of younger basketball players follows the fair and honest way of playing the game.This guy was a disgraced to NBA.
Pioneered the idea of the shooting big man, and was a great guy to have on your team. I’d say he’s a legend. Not loved by very many, but respected by those who knew his true personality and played with him.
Detroit won many games before they even started through intimidation alone. Laimbeer was the ringleader, but the entire Pistons team was no different. No blood, No Foul was the game, do whatever you have to for the win. No snowflakes in this era.
You were never going to unseat the Celtics of that era unless you were bigger bullies than they were. Whenever they got into a tight playoff series with like the Bucks or the Hawks the Celtics did the same stuff the Pistons finally did to them. It was sweet justice.
Love him. When I was in sixth grade and he was making up classes in the Toledo area, he was shooting baskets before a junior college style game. One of the colleges was my dad‘s college where he followed the team and kept the scorebook. Bill Laimbeer shot baskets with me when it was just the two of us on the floor. Although he didn’t play like it he was one of the nicest guys I have met
MY wife grew up in Palos Verdes Ca. Her mom always tells the story of Bill Laimbeer stocking shelves at a local grocery store and such a nice kid. Fast forward a few years later, she sees him 'pummaling' players in the basketball courts of the NBA.
In every highlight of Laimbeer fighting in this video, notice how he's coming forward at them while they back-pedal, including Barkley. It seems most of the players then were legitimately afraid of Laimbeer.
Great video! Usually Laimbeer only gets a brief mention on numbered lists by other TH-camrs, I've never seen an entire video devoted to him and in depth. Also glad you pointed out his "good" points a lot of people just dismiss him as a dirty player and a thug and never give him credit for his contributions to his team.
Lambier was great. Chrles Barkley, who had a memorable fight with Bill actually praised the bad boy and revealed that all the other big name and some not so big name would have loved to have him on their teams.
Im from Detroit and was a teen back in the 80's and loved to watch him play. Bill was "the muscle" of the team, the NBA is too boring to watch today men were MEN back then...
@Mark W how so? Because you're an overly sensitive child over petulant comments on fuck TH-cam 😂😂. Theres nothing more pathetic than that lmfao. Maybe you should read a boom or two, because your reading comprehension is pathetic considering im talking about YOU not nba players back in the 1980s 😂. You fucking clown
love him. i remember him draining consecutive clutch 3 pointers against the Lakers in the Forum. The Lakers fans were booing him like mad and it just fueled him. classic!
Laimbeer isn't even close to the dirtiest ever, there's at least 10 ahead of him. The Dirtiest player ever was Phil Jackson, followed by, Danny Ainge, Artis Gilmore, Karl Malone, Robert Parish, Kermit Washington, Kurt Rambis, and that's just to name a few who are ahead of Laimbeer. Make no mistake, Laimbeer was a dirty player, but the dirtiest, not even close.
The Washington Bullets had fine teams back then, led by the duo Johnny Most labled "McFilthy and McNasty", Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn. It was a different game back then. Guards weren't allowed to put their hand on the ball and turn it 180 degrees every dribble. You were limited to 2.5 steps. Coaches stll schemed to get the ball as close to the rim as possible before shooting it. Now it looks like anybody who shoots a 2-pointer is hurting his team by not jacking up a 3. You are allowed about five steps if you end the drive with a thunderous, photogenic dunk. Dribbling violations get called about a dozen times the entire season across the whole league. Guards might as well be given suitcases to carry the ball. With getting the ball close to the basket now being a disadvantage to a great-3 pt. team, physicality is on permanent vacation. It's a different game entirely. But Laimbeer would still excel at it. He was one smart dude who played as if six fouls were allowed each player every game, and flagrant foul fules were only a dream of the skinny players.
@@propre6033 nah man, not even close. Larry Bird was in the leauge then and was considered the best of No.2 (behind magic) while Bill played. Unlike now people werent as sensitive and pathetic
Give me Julius Erving, Steve Nash, and Bill Laimbeer on my dream team and I’d watch all day long. Though, I don’t know what other two players to put with them that wouldn’t ruin the vibe.
No wonder they made a video game named after him entitled: "Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball"!!! Him straight-up slapping other players in the face was just crossing the line...
Nah, Charles Oakley was tough physically. The Davis Brothers were tough physically Laimbeer was actually trying to hurt people on the court. He was a goon. A thug. He literally wouldn't be allowed in today's NBA, that's how dirty he was. As Larry Bird said, he was the one dude that was literally trying to hurt you out there.
I freakin loved the Pistons back then.this is when the NBA was fun and exciting to watch. I can't sit through one half of a professional game these days.
Bullshit. Watch the '84 finals where Boston was getting their ass handed to them. Bird and Boston decided to get rough and play dirty to slow down the Laker attack. It worked and Boston won the championship. So, Bird is full of shit.
@@TexWatson-sh8vf Try listening to what Bird said again. Maybe it'll sink in. Laimbeer tried to hurt people. There's hundreds of video's showing it. Show me one where Bird is trying to maim someone. Big difference between playing rough and playing to hurt.
Laimbeer influenced Rodman to be NBA toughest BadBoy, Defensive player, Defensive player in blocking steal, lead in Rebound, and in brawl Dont forget. laimbeer nba fans watching Pistons Badboys years .
3:25 making Larry Bird look bad. That's hard to do, and Bill Laimbeer made Bird looks real bad there with that fantastic block while somehow recovering his own block.
Laimbeer is very underrated and he was instrumental in bringing two rings to Detroit. As a Celtic fan I have no love for him, but I admired how much he got out of his talent.
My favorite Laimbeer moment when he fouled out against Portland the crowd booed and he bowed. I fucking loved Bill Laimbeer for life. Bad Boys! BAD Boys!!!!
LOVED growing up watching the Bad Boys. We had season tickets back then, and the games were WILD. Nose bleed tickets of course, at the silverdome, and then the palace. The fans were so rowdy back then. So was the NBA.
@NonyaBusiness! yet your bum ass responded becauze you know it's truth bad boys baby shut Mike down Bird and magic go watch real basketball not this arcade league
As a 15 yr old living in the inner city. Seeing Laimbeer getting booed in a game and him jestering to the crowd to boo louder. One of the best thing I've ever seen. I said " This sucka just don't give a f*&#." I loved it. Like Ice Cube used to say " I'm the sucka you love to hate".
He is my favorite player in NBA history. Some of this is due to circumstance bc I came to appreciate the NBA during the Pistons Finals against the Blazers. However, I also loved the Bad Boys and Bill was their captain (in spirit, anyway) It was a truly exciting time to be an NBA fan. The game was still physical and players had too much pride for all the flopping we see today. I don't know that I would say I would like a second coming of the Bad Boys or BL but I think the NBA is too soft with teams more worried about the money lost from injury than they are playing a physical engaging game.
You are right about the oworry of money and injury part. It is ridiculous. They dont let players go to play with their countey teams in globak competitobs or olympics some times, where olympics is the bug event of sports and teams should embrace sports above all and rhen their business models
Bill Laimbeer- I put him in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame as the greatest polarizing player in NBA history. I would compare Bill Laimbeer to the NHL'S Bobby Clarke from the 1970's Philadelphia Flyers. I will respectfully hand it to Bill Laimbeer- he did what he had to do to win a couple of championships, both by playing the game right with his scoring and rebounding and playing dirty before the NBA did something about playing dirty.
I'm a diehard Piston's fan who hated the Bulls. Bill was a dirty player. If he was on any other team I would have hated him, but as a member of my team, as a member of a team that thrived upon being underdogs, under-talented, and over motivated we love his drive and killer instinct.
I WANT to say I respect him, but I just can't. I see a lot of bullshit comments praising him, but a lot of what he did wasn't necessary. You can be tough without being straight up dirty.
@@vasilljones1283 Some people won't get it but I do. Its like watching a really good heel from pro wrestling go away from the ring forever. In this league you don't really have a lotta heels anymore since everyone is friendly. Harden being 'disliked' is more on a regular season thing with how he exploits the rules but not to the point where his rep is getting away being physical against your opponents.
Very good basketball player. His skills have been vastly forgotten or overlooked due to his constant fights and extremely rough defensive play. Seemed like Zeke broke his hand another time fighting someone much larger, but I could be mistaken. The Bad Boys were my favorite team ever. Their depth was outstanding. The players throughout the league were tough as nails back then. They straight up would punch each other in the face and just slug it out!
I'm pretty sure he was always the villain and never a hero. He was a bratty rich kid whose dad was the CEO of an international corporation, he's pretty much a classic 80s villain on a basketball court. That's what makes him so memorable.
Laimbeer… Do you love him, respect him or hate him??
respect
Disrespect
Crossed lines sure, but did what he felt needed to be done...
Laimbeer was playing to win. If the rules didn't punish him enough, the blame is on the rules, not the player.
Respect
Zaza Pachulia : I'm the dirtiest player in the league!
Hold my Laimbeer
That's an awesome play on words.
Thanks Sean! 😁
Comment of the year.
He should be at WRESTLING not in BASKETBALL..
HAHAHAAAAA
What made him more hated is most of the time after he hurts someone he had the audacity to protest the calls like "What did I do?!" 😂
Today's rules would keep in check. Huge fines and multiple games suspensions a lots of them on a daily basis. Starting with his spitting on the Boston Garden floor!!! They charge him a fine for spitting on floor as indecent behavior. If the rule does not exist then create it and call it the Laimbeer rule #1!!!Lol!!!!!
it's his white privilege
@Crazy Cooter that's not true. there's footage of him sliding his foot under jumping players, hoping they would get harmed when they came down. like ewing
@Crazy Cooter Lol I love Laimbeer but that's bs, we've seen him know he has no chance chasing guys like MJ down but intentionally go for closelines, he has thrown punches at players, he has kneeled on all 4s under players landings intentionally to cut their legs out from under them and much more. He definitely tried to take players out on several occasions. Pistons will deny it but we all know the rule of only the first foul counts was real. If you foul a player hard they can only call one foul so everyone else would make sure they hit you at the same time to rough you up or even hurt you lol it's hella smart and I have to give it to them but we that was a real thing.
He was a great player. He won 2 championships. He was an inspiring leader.
He never pointed his finger after a foul into his opponents face to further irritate him.
Just think about it…
Michael Jordan always said
everytime he played Detroit
he felt like he's been in a street
fight.
Bad boys were hated bcos they shut jordan down and taught him the only way to the mountain top is thru Detroit and he couldnt do it by himself. Parrish snaked laimbeer from behind now that was dirty the knicks played physical and oakley who played for the bulls was tbe enforcer starks rodman everyone played rough. The pistons took no prisoners won back to back cha.pionships they were good bill did what he was paid to do mahorn rodman salley thomas dumars set the tone everyone in those days grew up playing pysical rough basketball Ghetto ball but some players just cried louder he never backed down from anyone not even barkley
Jordan was soft
313!
Street fighters pistons
@@Christoph-sd3zi this pistons dont have the workload that Jordan had with the bulls he doesnt have time for stupidity
I got his autograph.
When signing it I asked "Hows your day going?"
He replied "Fine, until now." lol
What the hell does that mean? 🤣 Did you ask him?
bastardjustice it means until u asked for an autograph
Lol that's sounds about right lol
That’s a great joke.
like anyone cares.. the most irrelevant player in history.. Larry Bird should not be giving this nothing a spotlight.. loser lambeer.. a zero
Bill Laimbeer would have been HATED today if he was hated back then lol
he wouldn't even play in today's league lol
You wonder if he would have even been the same type of player. The incentives to play dirty don't exist anymore.
Bill Laimbeer would have been suspended out of the league if he played today.
@@blackedmirror5073 yeah because the league are full of soft cocks
akeme25 he would’ve been banned
It says a lot that, even decades later, there’s still dozens of former NBA players in their 60s and 70s who would punch Bill Laimbeer in the face if given the opportunity.
Most have had the opportunity and never did so they’re full of it
Most were never able too. He usually won the fights.
That just goes to show how good he was at his job.
Seen him on TV recently ,he looks stout they better bring it
@@TL2354 you might not think about it in the moment but if you look back in life there must be someone you wish you punched
I had a Nintendo game called "Bill Lambeeer Combat Basketball"...go figure
30 years later, I'm still slightly ticked that they didn't name it "Bill Lambeer's Combat Basketbrawl".
Hahahahaha... "What foul?"
Saw just saw it.
I remember that I borrowed that game from Blockbuster 😂
Was it something on the order of Arch Rivals?
@@henrylicious JEBUS
If he played in today's NBA, he would be suspended for 685 games straight
If todays players play back then, they would cry and quit
Wouldn't that be a league ban?
Agreed. Just like the NFL. Leagues just don't put up with this sort of stuff anymore. Just ask Vontaze Burfict. You simply cannot play in 2019 the way Laimbeer did.
that would be around an 8 and a half year ban.... and one thing would be responsible... you don't get banned for a big cumulative number of things totaled up over time...... Maybe you could say he would've been suspended every other game, or he would never play consecutive games because he'd do things to get himself suspended every game.
@Da Sh You're literally agreeing with the poster, though. That's the entire point: the rules of today's game have changed to disallow this style of play. The point isn't to argue with the literal 685 games that were cited. That's just obvious hyperbole. The point is that you can't play like a Monte Burns hired goon anymore.
Either Laimbeer wouldn't be the Laimbeer we watched in the 80s/90s or he'd be suspended. And that is, I believe, your point: Laimbeer (and Mahorn and others) would be smart enough to adjust their styles of play. But the end is the same: you can no longer play like Laimbeer did.
The biggest shock is still that he went 685 games straight without being suspended lol
WONDER WHY??? THAT SKIN COMPLEXION AGAIN!!!
@@coolkid5924 we gonna forget about isiah Thomas?
@@coolkid5924 what? No. It is that he probably was sneeky. Dirty in ways that make you unsure. And in the 1980s the game was tough. Toughness was allowed if is part of legal defence
@@innosanto WTF!!! SNEAKY!!! HEY MORON !!!! PASS THAT WHAT U R SMOKING FOOL!!!! PASS IT SO WE ALL CAN LIE AND BECOME DISALLUNSIONAL LIKE YOU!!! THE ONLY REASON THAT LOWLIFE SCUM GOT AWAY WITH BEING DIRTY IS HIS SKIN COMPLEXION !!! THAT IS IT!!! HE WAS ALLOWEDTO YOU DUMB FUCK!!!!
DAMM YOU ARE STUPID!!! SNEAKY!!! WTF IS THIS A LITTLE KIDS GAME!!!!
YOU MORON!!!
@@innosanto should have been fined and suspended for trying to injure players.
He's a piece of garbage.
i had no idea his career ended like that... interesting!
Same here. They kept it quiet.
fennisdembo34 I read it in the paper. It must have been 93 or 94 when they went at it in practice. Isiah broke his hand on Bill's head.
They denied it at the time but it was an open secret. Eventually they confirmed it happened.
@Tom Platz From what I read, Laimbeer set a pick in practice that broke Thomas' rib. Laimbeer later elbowed Thomas in the rib and that was what started the fight in which Thomas broke his hand.
He's a liar he didn't retire, they had a meeting and squashed it.
Closest thing the NBA has ever had to a hockey enforcer.
Ummm look up maurice Lucas,. His nickname was the Enforcer. I guarantee laimbeer wouldn't fuck with him
Willis reed?
*Instigator
And it never belonged in the game.
Nope, a goon/enforcer on a hockey team is the least talented player. Laimbeer was an All-star.
I'll never forget the first time I saw Laimbeer and Larry Bird on the court!
You could just FEEL something bad was going to happen and sure enough these two don't get along even today!
And on top of being a guy who irritated you on the court, he just had a face you wanted to punch.
lol dude was very handsome, leading man looks
Good for you if you can reach it.
@@reallyhappenings5597 handsome? ugh
Men lol... Bill was hot as fucking shit back in the day.
Looks like a buff MrBeast
I like Laimbeer because he's pretty much a classic, stereotypical 80s villain on a basketball court. Not the kind of modern, sympathetic villain with complex motives and noble causes behind their wicked deeds, but the simple one who just wants to take over the world, or in Bill's case, win basketball games, by any means necessary and doesn't care what anyone thinks of them.
He even has a classic villain backstory, an arrogant rich kid who's father was CEO of a multinational corporation. He's like the anti-Larry Bird.
I don't think that's the case regarding his dad and life. He was raised lower class in the suburbs. He just didn't give a f. And that's commendable.
I liked the fact that this video touched on the fact that Laimbeer was a great player. He was a smart, tough, consistent presence in the paint and a fricking assassin from the three point line. His skills are often overlooked.
he sucked
80s basketball is garbage. None of them would even make it to high-school basketball now.
Bill went to my high school. He lead our team to the large school CIF championship in southern CA. We beat a stacked Verbum Dei team with two future NBA players (David Greenwood, and Roy Hamilton). And he played within what was allowed. He had good post moves on the block, could hit the open shot, and made free throws. His defense was solid, and fundamental. In high school they didn't allow what the NBA allowed at that time, and Bill didn't play like that in high school. In the NBA, Bill just adapted to the violent game of the league at the time, and took it to the limit of what the league was allowing. You know he was also receiving a lot of punishment at the time. Often he was retaliating for what was done to him. or his teammates. Bill was a product of what the league was allowing. The league was full of enforcers at that time with Maurice Lucas, Jeff Ruland, Tree Rollins, Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone, Carl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kermit Washington, and yes Bird, and McHale. They were all giving out the cheap shots and physical stuff. The league just let it get farther and farther out of hand, and the Pistons just learned from everyone else and then just embraced it.
Assassin ? 😂
@@arizjones Bill is a bitter old man. The NBA ended up blackballing him because he was a punk and is one to this day. He was an ungracious winner and a sore loser. It eats at him that he had to go to the WNBA to get a job coaching.
That is what happens when you have no redeeming value. There were other tough guys back in the day but no one went out of their way to intentionally try to hurt the opposing player like Lambeer did when he undercut Ewing.
Listen to him now and he is an old bitter excuse for a man.
Bill Laimbeer was one of those players that made millions on the court, yet his father was richer than he was.
My Bad Boys were the truth. “Billy the Kid” was NO joke!!
thats false information. his father was a ceo and wealthy however in an interview bill said that he had a higher salary than his father did in his rookie season. get your facts right
@@joeagnolin26 His father, William Laimbeer Sr., was an Owens-Illinois executive who rose as high as company president. The younger Laimbeer once famously joked, "I'm the only player in the NBA who makes less money than his father''. Sounds like you missed this one.
Joe Agnolin yikes ur wrong
@@8z_ba just watch the 30 for 30 on the bad boys where bill says he earned more money than his father in his rookie season
if you’re gonna foul someone make sure they don’t make the and-one...
This was the rule back then. Also, no layups. Make them convert a tougher shot. It's this hardnosed mentality that's missing from the game today.
Playoff foul on a daily basis at its finest.
I don't understand why opposing players did not draw straws to see who got to bust his kneecaps outside in the parking lot.
@@julianmarsh1378 The NBA is not The Mafia, is why not. The "MBA", is.
@@julianmarsh1378 They all had smaller balls than Tonya Harding.
It wasn't just his physical nature that made it difficult, but it was his way of playing psychological "head games" with opponents. He and Dennis Rodman (later, with the Bulls) were good at doing that.
Both learned from Rick, the master.
Did you actually ever play basketball? Lambeer never tried to block anyone's shot. He went after their faces. He submarined Ewing. If you played basketball and someone played like that you would punch him in the face. He was an ungracious winner and a sore loser.
Listen to him now and you hear a bitter old man.
Just saw an interview with John Salley where he is talking about the head games the Piston players would bull with their garbage talk. I forget the opposing big man they were working, but Salley is telling the guy that Rodman is checking him out. Almost on cue, Rodman comes up behind the guy and stage whispers to to Salley that the guy has pretty legs. Just warped the guy's mind. The clip showed him cursing at Salleya and Rodman from the bench after their little 'talk'. The Pistons had a game within a game going. None of them were dummies. All of them were fully aware what their team goals were and what Chuck Daily envisioned their individual roles to play. And if they didn't play their role, they were gone from the Pistons, as was Kelly Tripuka as good a shooter as he was.
@@cdjhyoung I don’t really care what Salley said and he also couldn’t dribble.
I played until I was in my forties and I have watched every NBA finals since 1965.
One of my friend submarined me in a pickup game. I said to him if you ever do that again I am going to kick the shit out of you.
His response was “ I was trying to get into his head”. Sound familiar? The next day I played another pickup game and we outscored them 20-1. I scored 7 baskets to his 0. He shut his mouth from then on.
If you have to play dirty to compete you suck.
@@cdjhyoung Alonzo Mourning 😉
It's one of those factors people forget when comparing eras by simply looking at numbers: It's a whole different game when you know there is somebody like Laimbeer out there waiting for you. You just can't get as loose and comfortable. Now imagine a whole team with that mentality.
He also coached the Detroit Shock to 3 League championships.
nobody cares about the WNBA tho
Although true, it just adds to his accomplishments.
Shocking! really did not know that, interesting...
Did he teach them how to undercut other players and to play dirty like he did? Or did he try to rehab his image by actually teaching real hoops? Because he was a scummy player, so which way did he go after he made his millions?
I'm able to recognize he was a talented player and later became a very successful coach yet still hate his guts for being such a degenerate asshole who tried to ruin other players' careers.
I'm from Detroit and grew up as a boy during the Bad Boy days. Best yrs of my life. I cried tears in 87' when Detroit lost to Boston, over one little mistake. We won the next two championships in a row , than got robbed on a three-peat. I met Bill back in 2011 at a youth basketball type event, He was really cool with me and I got a autograph. I'm thinking if I wasn't excited to meet him and not a true fan , and were to come at him negatively he would of let me know. He's a big dude. Whatever people choose to call him & label him as, Well I guess he has earned it fair & square!
There was no robbing on the threepeat. The Bulls wiped the Piston's tails up and down the floor in 4 games. Even Chuck D admitted the Bulls were far superior at that point in every way.
Bill Laimbeer is the Most Coward player in the NBA.
They got robbed in the 88 Finals
@@whatareyoulookingat908 Dude he's talking about the 88 finals there was a phantom call against the pistons they were a few seconds away from winning the championship up by 1... Then bam the ref calls a foul but there wasn't anything to call and put the Lakers at the line. They make both win the game then pistons lost the 7th.
Me too man. From downriver born in 74. Love my Pistons 89,90,04.
Laimbeer: But I'm just playing defense...I was reaching for the ball its not my fault that his face is near the ball
Laimbeer= great team mate. Listening to John Salley about what it was like to walk into the Piston's locker room. Other teams it was about last night's party or the groupy some one hit on. The Pistons, with Laimbeer leading the discussion was about which broker to hook up with or protecting your earnings for the future. He grew up with wealth and used that knowledge to help educate his team mates. Odd for his team mates. Then he'd go out every night and do the grunt work setting screens and protecting the other shooters. It wasn't pretty, not kind, but if you were playing the Pistons you knew what was coming. It was up to you to stay out of the way, or play better than the Bad Boys. I met Laimbeer once when he was being friendly and wearing a business suite. Don't think I'd have wanted to face him if he were upset, or was defending the basket.
The quintessential nice guy vicious player
I dealt with Laimbeer in person a few times back when he ran a company in the Detroit area after his playing days... and to be honest... he struck me as right on that border between decent guy and prick. For the most part, an average joe. All that said, he was a MUCH better basketball player than anybody gives him credit for. First, he was a center in the 80s that shot 33% from 3 point distance. That's unicorn levels of rarity. Second, he took an INSANE amount of punishment. If you stumble across videos of Dennis Rodman taking charges, Laimbeer taught him that shit... he was a master at planting his feet a moment before contact. Third, he had zero vertical but boxed out like nobody else and was a very productive rebounder. Fourth, he was a dirty bum who hacked and tripped and elbowed on the regular... but in Detroit, he was our dirty bum. Laimbeer gets the press because the Bad Boy Pistons embraced it, but the NBA was MUCH rougher than it is today... especially come playoff time. Plenty of players on plenty of teams were dirty when they needed to be. Parrish, Rambis, Jabbar, Cartwright, Malone they all threw dirty elbows, they all committed cheap fouls, they were all dirty... Laimbeer might have been the dirtiest of them all... but the reason he is remembered is because he didn't shy away from it.
@@control_the_pet_population I saw a recent interview about that hard foul riff. He pointed out that, yes, he fouled hard. It was intended as a warning to stay out of the paint. He always aimed high, never cutting the legs out from under the opposing players. He wasn't trying to end careers, just send a message. And you are right, for a guy that couldn't sky, he sure found ways to come down on guys going up to score. You're right about how 'dirty' the rest of the league played. Detroit wore the Bad Boys tag with pride, but elbow for elbow, Boston was right there with them in dirty play.
It's hard to conceive a tough as nails white guy that feared no one you have to say he was dirty. He was a clean cut rich kid that could play the greats and knock them down to size.
@NonyaBusiness! Bill Laimbeer wasn't any dirtier than Charles Oakley or Karl Malone... hell, Malone and Stockton both were dirty as fuck. Again, Laimbeer and the Pistons embraced it... they welcomed the bad press, turned it into motivation... but Riley's Knicks a few years later were arguably worse. Motumbo was arguably worse. Also, Laimbeer was a 6'11 guy that shot 33% from 3pt range. In today's game, he'd likely be more valuable then he was in the 80s. A solid positional rebounder on one end of the floor, a solid pick setter and deep shot threat on the other end.
Also, fuck Larry Bird's revisionist bullshit. He'd undercut and clothesline anybody that pissed him off. They were all dirty bums in the 80s that would get suspended every other start in today's game. Go back even earlier, check out some of those dirtbag 76ers teams from the early 80s... some of their playoff games back then wouldn't have made it to halftime because everybody would have already been ejected for intentional fouls. Also also, fuck Pippen and Jordan... another Malone / Stockton styled pair of "who me?" assholes who tripped and poked and clutched and elbowed constantly.
Bill's son played little league for the same org that I played for, although his son was a year or two younger than me. But me and my friend Mike went over and said hi...he saw us coming and gave us a quick high-five and then immediately went back to watching the game. We were like, "Welp, that was fun." haha
Laimbeer is just the best villain ever
He would if he wasn't a chicken
@@neodelospobres4908 Nah, but people like you are what makes him a great villain, you're supposed to hate him. How is he a chicken when he was the one picking fights with dudes bigger and stronger than him?
@@localneo-graphic4647 it's people like you who make him brave. I didn't see him fighting or even trying to hit Malone when he kicked Isiahs ass. Not even a try, all he did was complain with the referees. A real fighter would've knocked down Karl. Buy bullies are that way, they always pick on the weak.
Laimbeer would be tossed from today's game before the tip-off.
That truth 😂😂😂
@@antoniolujan2414 -Rightly so. People that defend him never played against him. I'm sure they would hate his guts if they did too.
@@vernpascal1531 but his teammates loved and respected the hell out of him, and thats all that matter. his numbers and 2 titles speak to that fact.
@NonyaBusiness! Toughness is part of every sport. the pistons were champs. twice.
That's because too many soy boys and Charmin boys in today's NBA
As an impressive as the ironman feat of 685 games straight is, I still find the fact that he did it without suspension rather than injury even more impressive. If someone played like that today, they would be would be getting fined more than they get paid, and play like 30 games a season.
Aside from that, his actual basketball skill, the part that didn't involve flagrant fouls, would be perfect in today's League. I also find it impressive that he went from being a soft rich white kid to a guy that turned basketball into a combat sport and became the leader of one of the most hood teams in the NBA.
If he played in today's game, he wouldn't be getting fouled. He wouldn't play, PERIOD! Hahahaha, he'd be thrown out of so many games he'd have to retire.
I'm not sure how everyone equates growing up rich to automatically being soft. If dad raised him to be tough and/or aggressive, or those things were just in his nature, $ doesn't much matter.
@@johnboehmer6683 I think it's because people assume those who grow up poor have a dangerous or violent upbringing in bad areas. Rich people can afford to have a more pampered upbringing. Of course, the reality doesn't fit the stereotypes.
@@Tyler-hk4wo
Exactly
You never watched him play. He was one of the smartest players on the floor. He should be in the hall of fame. He was a good post player, a great rebounder, excellent defender and could pass well. He changed the game because he could shoot the 3 pointer as a center, and also perfected 'the flop'. He actually played within the rules of the time and within his abilities. And I think more then anything he took a bunch of pressure off the rest of the team and got them to gel. More then personal accolades, he wanted to win.
Most of the 'hard' fouls were trying to rattle the other team. He was deceptive and used the fouls wisely to rattle the other players. Other times he would back away and they heard footsteps and missed the easy shot. It was mind games more then anything.
Bird is still pissed at Laimbeer claiming he was dirty, but I suspect it was because Bird couldn't ever rattle him.
Take Laimbeer out of the equation and Zaza would still be well below other members of the Bad Boys in terms of dirtiness.
As a Detroiter , born & raised. That's a compliment. Thanks!
👍✌
And scoring, and rebounding
It was a team where Dennis Rodman looked calm and collected in comparison to everyone that wasn't Joe Dumars
Big Bad Bill Laimbeer one of the most underrated bigs of all time, great video.
He actually deserves to be in the hall of fame. Every city hated the Pistons because they shut them down and quite regularly held teams with great offensives to under 70 points
Never thought Laimbeer was HOF worthy until recently. With all the garbage they been putting in the Basketball HOF recently I definitely believe Laimbeer, Marques Johnson and Shawn Kemp should be in
@@mongoslade277 Idk about Kemp or Marques getting in NGL
He got a good WNBA coaching stats too
Nope
Laimbeer definitely needs to be in the hall of fame. Especially since almost everyone gets in the hall nowadays.
Who’s watching this after MJs Last Dance documentary
I heard he was a badass defender who beat the shit outta jordan,but I didn’t know he was good at offense too.also Isiah Thomas is the goat
#michigan
Nah, after the Bad Boys documentary
Did not bother to watch M.J. infomercial.
Me
I'm from Detroit and now living in Chattanooga.
I wear my Bad Boys cap all the time.
(or Red Wings jersey)
PROUDLY
Still wearing my Bad Boy tees too.
the last thing i expected to learn here was him being a Stretch Big. a Pioneer in the Center Role. sheeeesh
The Pistons were so good that they kept Jordan out of the Nba finals for 7 years, so good that they had a hall of famer like Dennis Rodman coming off of the bench. laimbeer was also the first three point shooting center.
No, the Pistons only did it for 2 or 3 years. Before that it was the Lakers, Celtics, and 76ers.
And didn't Walton shoot the three occasionally?
@@bricefleckenstein9666 the Lakers weren't keeping ANY Eastern Conference teams out of the finals.
@@blakfloyd NM I misread your comment.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 no biggie. I didn't see whatever you mistyped any way. I was pointing out the fact that no team from the Western Conference could do anything about an Eastern Conference team until they met in the finals anyway.
Bullshit they just gave flagrant fouls smashing anyone who dunks or lay ups. That doesnt take much talent. It is funny the flagrant foul was put into effect in the 90-91 season. The season Jordan got pass the pistons
Imagine the starting line-up: "Dennis Rodman; Vinnie Johnson; Bill Laimbeer; Joe Dumars; Isaiah Thomas".
It's like facing an incoming freight-train.
Joolz Godfree vinny always comes off the bench. Gotta have Mahorn
You forgot about Wilt!
In '89 the lineup was Thomas, Dumars, Aguirre, Mahorn, Laimbeer. In '90 it was Thomas, Dumars, Rodman, Edwards, Laimbeer.
let my metawordpeace join
Icons!!!!!
as a long time sixer fan this decade was right in my wheel house and i never i had issue with bill in fact when rick got traded to us i loved what he brought. So being just a fan no issues i can see where players where worried about there long term health with him on the court but sitting courtside and feeling no effects night after night of course i loved it.
I remember him being extremely physical but I also remember him being a great shooter and rebounder. I also remember he came from a well to do family. I think they were millionaires.
Ironically Bill made millions, and still didn't make as much as his father.
He once said that he was the only NBA player to make less money than his dad
isiah thomas bought him mom a house in laimbeer's childhood neighborhood, mansions everywhere
He went to beverly hills highschool my man.
I miss 80s basketball. Especially the time period from 84-90. Good times.
I know right imagine lebron trying to play in that era with hand checking also i think he would NOT have the numbers he has today
@@jaykecraig6708 imagine u trying to play in any era...
@Blackflag it’s soft? U wouldn’t be able to make a team
@@448DamonXX well that's true id be a joke on the court that wasn't my sport but the sport I do do I would do better with my wisdom AFL check it out real football
@@jaykecraig6708 Lebron is a athletic 6’8 250 pound pure muscle SF who can guard any position on the court and play any position put him in any era he would dominate same with players like MJ Magic Bird Kobe etc they are goats and would do good no matter what era
I loved watching Laimbeer and the Pistons back in those days. He was awesome. I miss that style of basketball and so glad he played back in the days and not now.
Me and a coworker were just talking about this guy today.
Maybe his coworker is Jonny Arnett
Alien Intention me and my coworker do our job on point everyday we earn our check for your information
M Granvee no sir but I do enjoy this TH-camrs videos.
Alien Intention Dude, that is hilarious. Made me laugh today, thank you.
Bill Laimbeer Mr badass! Ain't no apologies given! I love and respect him.
I remember Bill Laimbeer playing and hitting 3's in the 1980's. I just can't understand why a solid player like him had to be such a dirty player! I know sometimes players have to do certain things, but Laimbeer was there to hurt people.
Watching the NBA now with their load management and whining stars getting 150 million dollars to basically whine and complain and date porn stars but forgetting to actually play good basketball....makes me miss Bill Laimbeer form Detroit Pistons. He was a dirty player yes, but quite durable, gave as good as he got, and will always be there in the end to grind it out. They made 3 straight NBA Finals, winning 2 and losing a close one against the Lakers. He dropped Brad Daugherty with one punch! A 7 foot tall, 250 pounder for Pete's sake! I saw the video on TH-cam. Anyways, Laimbeer might be classified as a Goon/Enforcer. But I would nominate him to the Hall Of Fame. 2 NBA rings, 4 time All-Star, 3 Time WNBA Champ. He is a winner that's for sure!
@@mcentepede 3 time WNBA Champ. EXCELLENT
He wasn't trying to hurt people, he was trying to get in their heads. He wanted the other players to focus on him and the physical war, and take their focus off of playing basketball. Bill was a product of what the league was allowing. The league was full of enforcers at that time with Maurice Lucas, Jeff Ruland, Tree Rollins, Charles Oakley, Rick Mahorn, Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone, Carl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kermit Washington, and yes Bird, and McHale. They were all giving out the cheap shots and physical stuff. The league just let it get farther and farther out of hand, and the Pistons just learned from everyone else and then just embraced it.
@@arizjones Like when he submarined Ewing. Go look at his highlights. He never tried to block anyone's shot he went after their faces.
If you really analyze his game he was mediocre. He could not put the ball on the floor and drive, he had no post up game and he was at best an average passer. Defensive rebounds are overrated. You are in the box out position as soon as the shot goes up. He had to play dirty to compete. If you have to play dirty to compete then you suck.
Bill Laimbeer was the one player that used to love hearing boos from the crowd in opposing arenas.
Im from Detroit & watched a lot of laimbeer, Yes he was dirty but he was also very smart & talented. He would hit numerous big shots, always hustled and never played lazy even when the game didn't matter.
1Bikkato I'm from Detroit as well. I deffenitley agree. Bill at the top of the 3 point key was on point, better than most guards at that spot.
@Bob S Lol.. He coached a championship team. Sure, it wasn't NBA , but still. The Detroit shock the WNBA were the best contenders in there league for years with Bill as there coach. Detroit & Los Angeles were the top 2 contenders. Your comment is pretentious and lacking of intelligence
@Bob S Ha, ha.. I hit a never didn't i Bob. I trolled you & I wasn't even trying too😫
Laimbeer can definitely lay claim to the title of "Dirtiest Player in NBA History" - Larry Bird nailed it when he said that the difference between Laimbeer and other very physical players who would commit very hard fouls was that, "(those other players) would hit you hard, but they wouldn't try to MAIM you - Laimbeer would". He constantly fouled players trying to inflict serious physical injury, even possibly career-ending injuries. He probably holds the record for obvious intentional fouls where he wasn't even trying to make it look like he was going for the ball, like trying to block a shot - No, instead, he'd just flatten a player, as hard as he could. The fouls he committed might have easily ended the careers of greats like MJ and Larry Bird. Laimbeer was just a nasty guy - there's no excuse for the dirty way he played - of course, he was a perfect fit for Detroit, where the fans and his fellow players cheered on his dirty style of play. In my book, he's in the Hall of Fame - no, not the NBA Hall of Fame - the Asshole Hall of Fame. Showed his true colors when he slunk off the court before the game was over when the Bulls finally swept Detroit - THAT was a great day for the NBA, when the classy Bulls sent Detroit OUT of the championship - it was like someone standing up to the school bully - like most bullies, when confronted by someone he couldn't beat up, Laimbeer showed he was really a coward.
If he played in today's NBA, the way refs call games now, he'd foul out in the first quarter of almost every game.
He deserved to be hated. His rudeness and cheap dirty plays showed his real disgusting ways to aim for the win. Hope the generation of younger basketball players follows the fair and honest way of playing the game.This guy was a disgraced to NBA.
You sound like a whiner
Pioneered the idea of the shooting big man, and was a great guy to have on your team. I’d say he’s a legend. Not loved by very many, but respected by those who knew his true personality and played with him.
Legend is a bit much, lol. Good player, yes.
Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Bob McAdoo.
@@bigcolt5256 do not even mention him in the same breath with those 3 hall of famers.
@@thomaskelly8571 Just saying they were hitting from outside long before Laimbeer came along, and did it better.
@@bigcolt5256 ok sorry misunderstood you
Detroit won many games before they even started through intimidation alone. Laimbeer was the ringleader, but the entire Pistons team was no different. No blood, No Foul was the game, do whatever you have to for the win. No snowflakes in this era.
Which was a disgrace to the game. Agreed?
@@donaldcole1803 - I would never define back to back championships as a disgrace.
You were never going to unseat the Celtics of that era unless you were bigger bullies than they were. Whenever they got into a tight playoff series with like the Bucks or the Hawks the Celtics did the same stuff the Pistons finally did to them. It was sweet justice.
Steve Shane exactly
Isiah was definitely the ring leader. Bill was the enforcer
Robert Parish beating the hell out of him in the playoffs....my favorite memory of Bill Lamebeer.
Laimbeer
Parish sucker punched him ,Laimbeer would whip his ass. Chief is a Sissy
Love him. When I was in sixth grade and he was making up classes in the Toledo area, he was shooting baskets before a junior college style game. One of the colleges was my dad‘s college where he followed the team and kept the scorebook. Bill Laimbeer shot baskets with me when it was just the two of us on the floor. Although he didn’t play like it he was one of the nicest guys I have met
Frank Thomas = "Big Hurt." Bill Laimbeer = "Big Loveable", in case i forget.
MY wife grew up in Palos Verdes Ca. Her mom always tells the story of Bill Laimbeer stocking shelves at a local grocery store and such a nice kid. Fast forward a few years later, she sees him 'pummaling' players in the basketball courts of the NBA.
In every highlight of Laimbeer fighting in this video, notice how he's coming forward at them while they back-pedal, including Barkley. It seems most of the players then were legitimately afraid of Laimbeer.
Rich kid gone wild. Bill grew up rich and always had daddy's money so he didn't fear losing that career.
Ask Robert Parish if he was afraid of Lamebeer
That was the point. It was the Pistons MO, to get into player's heads, and Laimbeer was the face of it
Great video! Usually Laimbeer only gets a brief mention on numbered lists by other TH-camrs, I've never seen an entire video devoted to him and in depth. Also glad you pointed out his "good" points a lot of people just dismiss him as a dirty player and a thug and never give him credit for his contributions to his team.
Lambier was great. Chrles Barkley, who had a memorable fight with Bill actually praised the bad boy and revealed that all the other big name and some not so big name would have loved to have him on their teams.
The original stretch 4! As a bad boys fan I loved him! Laimbeer definitely has an invite to the cookout!
Im from Detroit and was a teen back in the 80's and loved to watch him play. Bill was "the muscle" of the team, the NBA is too boring to watch today men were MEN back then...
Nowadays it's almost illegal for a man to be a man.
Okay boomerzzz
“men were men back then” today NBA got more skill then back then.
@Mark W Just pointing out. If "men were men back then" does this mean you've become a little bitch? Because you've heavily implied that 😂😂.
@Mark W how so? Because you're an overly sensitive child over petulant comments on fuck TH-cam 😂😂. Theres nothing more pathetic than that lmfao. Maybe you should read a boom or two, because your reading comprehension is pathetic considering im talking about YOU not nba players back in the 1980s 😂. You fucking clown
love him. i remember him draining consecutive clutch 3 pointers against the Lakers in the Forum. The Lakers fans were booing him like mad and it just fueled him. classic!
I literally cannot stop laughing he gave all of the legends nightmares
It’s so funny because he looks like a grocery store manager. But he fits the profile of a serial killer.
Laimbeer isn't even close to the dirtiest ever, there's at least 10 ahead of him. The Dirtiest player ever was Phil Jackson, followed by, Danny Ainge, Artis Gilmore, Karl Malone, Robert Parish, Kermit Washington, Kurt Rambis, and that's just to name a few who are ahead of Laimbeer. Make no mistake, Laimbeer was a dirty player, but the dirtiest, not even close.
The Washington Bullets had fine teams back then, led by the duo Johnny Most labled "McFilthy and McNasty", Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn. It was a different game back then. Guards weren't allowed to put their hand on the ball and turn it 180 degrees every dribble. You were limited to 2.5 steps. Coaches stll schemed to get the ball as close to the rim as possible before shooting it. Now it looks like anybody who shoots a 2-pointer is hurting his team by not jacking up a 3. You are allowed about five steps if you end the drive with a thunderous, photogenic dunk. Dribbling violations get called about a dozen times the entire season across the whole league. Guards might as well be given suitcases to carry the ball. With getting the ball close to the basket now being a disadvantage to a great-3 pt. team, physicality is on permanent vacation. It's a different game entirely. But Laimbeer would still excel at it. He was one smart dude who played as if six fouls were allowed each player every game, and flagrant foul fules were only a dream of the skinny players.
I loved Bill Laimbeer he was a great player and knew how to get in your head
Cheap shots don't make the cut.
He is a legend
Legend of crappy and dirty play indeed....
He kicked ass on the court
Darth Vader wouldn’t go in the paint against Laimbeer. I loved watching him. Very under rated player.
Anikan would dunk on Laimbeer though.
Pro Pre No.
Obi Wan would have.
He had the higher ground.
Laimbeer gets picked on cause he's white tho.
@@propre6033 nah man, not even close. Larry Bird was in the leauge then and was considered the best of No.2 (behind magic) while Bill played. Unlike now people werent as sensitive and pathetic
Bill Laimbeer should be in the Hall of Fame.
Give me Julius Erving, Steve Nash, and Bill Laimbeer on my dream team and I’d watch all day long. Though, I don’t know what other two players to put with them that wouldn’t ruin the vibe.
Bill helped put Detroit on the map and i will always respect this man!
Laimbeer and Mahon are legends. The enforcers of the bad boys
Don't leave Buddha out.
They were two much for the league lol had to trade one.
No wonder they made a video game named after him entitled: "Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball"!!!
Him straight-up slapping other players in the face was just crossing the line...
I miss 80's ball
Not only was he tough physically, he was able to get into the heads of the best players in the NBA. They worried more about him than winning at times.
If one needs to act like Laimbeer did on the court he's far from bein' a good player.
@@knowtilus1389 He was a villain, and we loved/hated him for it.
Nah, Charles Oakley was tough physically. The Davis Brothers were tough physically Laimbeer was actually trying to hurt people on the court. He was a goon. A thug. He literally wouldn't be allowed in today's NBA, that's how dirty he was. As Larry Bird said, he was the one dude that was literally trying to hurt you out there.
He could straight own opponents. He was the king mind manipulator. He melted Ewing into a puddle.
One of my favorite players of all time. Really added something to the game.
Bill Laimbeer can be on my team anytime. The man had the TOTAL GAME, including INTIMIDATION !
Not with Bird.
I freakin loved the Pistons back then.this is when the NBA was fun and exciting to watch. I can't sit through one half of a professional game these days.
Is this why there is a Super Nintendo game called “Combat Basketball” with Bill Laimbeer’s name on it? lol
He certainly was ballsy and a competent player, but have to agree with what Bird said.
Bullshit. Watch the '84 finals where Boston was getting their ass handed to them. Bird and Boston decided to get rough and play dirty to slow down the Laker attack.
It worked and Boston won the championship. So, Bird is full of shit.
@@TexWatson-sh8vf yea, the celtics were far worse and dirtier than the pistons ever were.
@@TexWatson-sh8vf Try listening to what Bird said again. Maybe it'll sink in. Laimbeer tried to hurt people. There's hundreds of video's showing it. Show me one where Bird is trying to maim someone. Big difference between playing rough and playing to hurt.
@@tlohbor2690 That's either the funniest or most uninformed opinion I've ever heard. Must be pretty young.
@@birdford33 Just curious, but if Laimbeer played to hurt people, how many games did players miss due to his fouls?
It took 685 games to suspend him. The NBA created his presence. How I miss his style of play.
Laimbeer influenced Rodman to be NBA toughest BadBoy, Defensive player, Defensive player in blocking steal, lead in Rebound, and in brawl
Dont forget. laimbeer nba fans watching Pistons Badboys years .
3:25 making Larry Bird look bad. That's hard to do, and Bill Laimbeer made Bird looks real bad there with that fantastic block while somehow recovering his own block.
Laimbeer is very underrated and he was instrumental in bringing two rings to Detroit. As a Celtic fan I have no love for him, but I admired how much he got out of his talent.
well put
Wow how far society has come to respect a man who who was as shitty as bill lambier
Yeah, he'd be in the HOF if he wasn't so hated.
@@joeyjo-joshabadu9636 he was hated because he played dirty. Are you that much of an idiot
Gullintanni. He never showed how much Talent he had because he played dirty. Are you that stupid
Heart and soul of those Piston teams. Like Draymond Green is for the GSW. You needed him and the Piston fans loved Laimbeer
I can’t stand the SOB. That said, I truly miss his era. Men played the game then.
Here in Detroit we called him Bill Maimbeer we love him and will always love him.
You love him because, well....it's Detroit. Why wouldn't you love a ruthless SOB who tried to end his opponents' careers? Makes perfect sense.
@@jakemitchell1671 Well, guys knew what they were up against when they played against Maimbeer, nobody held a gun to they're head.
Dewayne Coleman
The truth.
My favorite Laimbeer moment when he fouled out against Portland the crowd booed and he bowed. I fucking loved Bill Laimbeer for life. Bad Boys! BAD Boys!!!!
@@stephencorbitt2752 Yep, that was our boy Bill, an instigator to the end.
LOVED growing up watching the Bad Boys. We had season tickets back then, and the games were WILD. Nose bleed tickets of course, at the silverdome, and then the palace. The fans were so rowdy back then. So was the NBA.
I loved him. One of the best big men to ever play. Over 200 3 pt shots. Amazing for a big man. People watched the piston games because of him.
T the end for sure just him a Joe D
Lol
Laimbeer is one of my favorite big men in NBA history.
Brutal, savage, nasty, rough, violent team :)
I loved laimbeer and respect him salute the dirtiest man in NBA history
@NonyaBusiness! dude they played basketball 3 strait finals 2 wins go watch the games bum Jordan and them were the goons a long with Larry bird
@NonyaBusiness! yet your bum ass responded becauze you know it's truth bad boys baby shut Mike down Bird and magic go watch real basketball not this arcade league
Laimbeer was awesome i loved to watch the motor city bad boys play it was a work of art
As a 15 yr old living in the inner city. Seeing Laimbeer getting booed in a game and him jestering to the crowd to boo louder. One of the best thing I've ever seen. I said " This sucka just don't give a f*&#." I loved it. Like Ice Cube used to say " I'm the sucka you love to hate".
But he was a rich kid. He joked that he was probably the only player in the NBA whose dad made more money than him.
@@blackblake3658 I remember him saying that Isaiah and him had nothing really in common growing up but got along pretty well.
Respect I mean he did his job and he did it hard
I want the ghetto years when u earn keep on the paint. NBA so boring now
And its obviously FIXED. BORING! Refs making biased calls. They are sellouts.
true, 0% game 100% advertisments foul calls and three pointers all the time
1:43 back in the 80s fans were not only allowed to bring chainsaws to the game, they were encouraged. different times
Laimbeer is one of my most loved basketball players ever for his heart for the game. I hope my English is ok to Say what i want...
He is my favorite player in NBA history. Some of this is due to circumstance bc I came to appreciate the NBA during the Pistons Finals against the Blazers. However, I also loved the Bad Boys and Bill was their captain (in spirit, anyway) It was a truly exciting time to be an NBA fan. The game was still physical and players had too much pride for all the flopping we see today.
I don't know that I would say I would like a second coming of the Bad Boys or BL but I think the NBA is too soft with teams more worried about the money lost from injury than they are playing a physical engaging game.
Ohh there was flopping. Bad Boys Foreva!
Also the fans are too soft. Just look at the comments in this video 😂
You are right about the oworry of money and injury part. It is ridiculous. They dont let players go to play with their countey teams in globak competitobs or olympics some times, where olympics is the bug event of sports and teams should embrace sports above all and rhen their business models
Bill Laimbeer- I put him in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame as the greatest polarizing player in NBA history. I would compare Bill Laimbeer to the NHL'S Bobby Clarke from the 1970's Philadelphia Flyers. I will respectfully hand it to Bill Laimbeer- he did what he had to do to win a couple of championships, both by playing the game right with his scoring and rebounding and playing dirty before the NBA did something about playing dirty.
Seeing old clips about how dirty Bill Laimbeer was: Interesting.
Watching it unfold on live tv: PRICELESS.
We need krispyflakes to react to this
I'm a diehard Piston's fan who hated the Bulls. Bill was a dirty player. If he was on any other team I would have hated him, but as a member of my team, as a member of a team that thrived upon being underdogs, under-talented, and over motivated we love his drive and killer instinct.
I WANT to say I respect him, but I just can't.
I see a lot of bullshit comments praising him, but a lot of what he did wasn't necessary. You can be tough without being straight up dirty.
Finally a sensible comment. People don't see a fine line between being tough and being an asshole anymore
Couldn't stand him but when he was gone from the game I missed him.
Why? Why do you miss him?
@@donaldcole1803 I missed the way he acted on the court and the way the fans would get on him.
@@vasilljones1283 Some people won't get it but I do. Its like watching a really good heel from pro wrestling go away from the ring forever. In this league you don't really have a lotta heels anymore since everyone is friendly. Harden being 'disliked' is more on a regular season thing with how he exploits the rules but not to the point where his rep is getting away being physical against your opponents.
@@t4d0W Very well said.
Very good basketball player. His skills have been vastly forgotten or overlooked due to his constant fights and extremely rough defensive play. Seemed like Zeke broke his hand another time fighting someone much larger, but I could be mistaken. The Bad Boys were my favorite team ever. Their depth was outstanding. The players throughout the league were tough as nails back then. They straight up would punch each other in the face and just slug it out!
Lambeers retirement is summed in the "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." quote
I'm pretty sure he was always the villain and never a hero. He was a bratty rich kid whose dad was the CEO of an international corporation, he's pretty much a classic 80s villain on a basketball court. That's what makes him so memorable.