Chuck Daly, Pistons Coach, Dies at 78

[Frank Booth]

Source: NY Times

Chuck Daly, who coached the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boy teams to two consecutive N.B.A. championships, then coached the Olympic Dream Team to a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games, died Saturday in Jupiter, Fla. He was 78. Daly’s death was announced by the Pistons. In March, they said he was being treated for pancreatic cancer.

When Daly became the Pistons’ coach in 1983, the franchise had never won an N.B.A. championship since entering the league in 1948, representing Fort Wayne, Ind. In his nine seasons with Detroit, Daly’s teams made the playoffs every time. His Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1989 N.B.A. finals, then beat out the Portland Trail Blazers in a five-game final the following year.

Daly was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 1994. When the N.B.A. celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997, he was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history in balloting by the news media. The Pistons retired No. 2 that year to commemorate his consecutive N.B.A. titles.

Daly’s Pistons featured scoring and flash in the backcourt, with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, and muscle up front, with Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Mark Aguirre and James Edwards.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/sports/basketball/10daly.html?hp

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Sad news. I always hated those Bad Boys teams -- mostly because they were so good and annoying. They had a great coach.
Rest in peace, Chuck Daly.

[Botany]

1. rest easy Chuck

thanx for the post ..... I hated 'em too but they did have a swagger to them aka We are better than you and we will win .... end of story.

[jobycom]

2. Great coach. RIP, and condolences to family, friends, and a world of fans.

[navarth]

3. We always loved the bad boys teams. And Chuck Daly was brilliant.

He always came across with class, style and intelligence. And he gave us some great basketball.

Rest in peace, coach.

[RockaFowler]

4. I'm really sad about this

I met him in the early 80's when I was living in the Detroit area. He came to our school to help our Basketball team. He was also friends with my Basketball Coach. What a wonderful person Mr Daly was and how generous he was to those of us girls trying to learn the mechanics of basketball. Rest in Peace Mr Daly. You will be missed . . .

[MilesColtrane]

5. Visitation will be accommodated for as many that can elbow their way into the funeral home.

Face guards are suggested.

[catzies]

7. That's turrible, and yet I laughed. RIP Coach.

Loved the Bad Boys ('cause they beat my hated Lakers) and loved the Dream Team 'cause of who was their #12.

[tclambert]

9. You just made me grin like Rick Mahorn

right after he said to an opponent, "Oh, terribly sorry. Did my elbow accidentally tap your cranium? Please, let me help find your teeth."

[sarcasmo]

6. RIP Daddy Rich.

[michreject]

8. Even tho it was announced several months back

that he had terminal cancer, it's still sad to read about it.

I had a T-shirt that I bought after the 2nd championship. It read "If once was nice, twice is Bad".

[Blue_Tires]

10. r.i.p. from a Pistons fan