Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere was born in Detroit to parents Peter Marcell and Dorothy DeBusschere.[1] He attended Austin Catholic Preparatory School and inspired the "White Shirted Legion" (the tradition of wearing white shirts to the school's games to make fans more visible). As a junior, he was named all-state, and in his senior year of 1957–58, in just the school's third year of organized basketball, he led his team to the Michigan Class A high school basketball championship, scoring 32 points despite fouling out midway through the fourth quarter as the Friars defeated Benton Harbor High School and DeBusschere's future NBA rival forward Chet Walker.[2]

DeBusschere starred in both basketball and baseball at the University of Detroit. He averaged 24 points a game in basketball, helping Detroit reach the National Invitation Tournament twice and the NCAA basketball tournament once. He also pitched the Titans to three NCAA baseball tournament berths.[3]

In 1962, DeBusschere was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent. He was a pitcher for the White Sox from 1962 to 1963. He pitched a shutout on August 13, 1963, against the Cleveland Indians, giving up six hits, one walk and striking out three. In 22 career at bats, he had only one hit, a single off Bennie Daniels on July 17, 1963. He pitched in the White Sox's minor league system for two more seasons before giving up pitching to focus on both playing and coaching basketball.[4]

He is one of only 13 athletes to have played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. The 13 are: Danny Ainge, Frank Baumholtz, Gene Conley, Chuck Connors, DeBusschere, Johnny Gee, Dick Groat, Steve Hamilton, Mark Hendrickson, Cotton Nash, Ron Reed, Dick Ricketts and Howie Schultz.[5].[6][7][8]

DeBusschere retired as a player in 1974, and his #22 jersey was retired by the Knicks, though not until many years later; it is thought the delay was due to his taking a front-office job with the rival New York Nets of the American Basketball Association (now Brooklyn Nets) upon his retirement. The next year DeBusschere became the ABA's commissioner for the 1975–76 season, its last. DeBusschere helped bring about the merger between the NBA and the ABA that year.[11] He was later the assistant coach and director of basketball operation of the Knicks during the 1980s, when he drafted fellow Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, the first overall selection in 1985.

DeBusschere and some partners purchased Ring magazine in 1979.[12]

DeBusschere authored a book entitled The Open Man, a chronicle of the New York Knicks' 1969–1970 championship season.

In May 2003, Dave DeBusschere collapsed on a Manhattan street from a heart attack and was pronounced dead at New York University Hospital. He was 62 years of age. DeBusschere was interred at Saint Joseph's Church Cemetery in Garden City, Nassau County, New York. DeBusschere, who lived in Garden City, was survived by his wife, Gerri (who died of cancer in 2009),[13] sons Peter and Dennis, and daughter Michelle.[3]

In his honor, the University of Detroit Mercy inaugurated the Dave DeBusschere Scholarship in 2003. It provides support to two student-athletes that must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills.[13]

• List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
• Dave DeBusschere at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
• Dave DeBusschere Legends Profile at NBA.com
• Dave DeBusschere at The Deadball Era
• Dave DeBusschere at Find a Grave