Bill Laimbeer is one of the players who come to mind when talking about the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys. As the Pistons’ last line of defense, the 6’11” big man often resorted to extremely physical play and some dirty tactics. The city of Detroit loved him. But other NBA fans loathed his rough and tough persona.
A dirty player?
One of Laimbeer’s infamous plays was when he clotheslined Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird in Game 4 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. A brawl ensued, which, ironically, resulted in Bird getting thrown out. Game 5 was held in Boston, where Laimbeer was met with jeers. In the first half, Celtics center Robert Parish sucker-punched him.
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The incident with Bird is just one of many of Laimbeer’s nasty plays. Michael Jordan fans vividly recall how the center threw the shooting guard to the ground in their playoff duels. Since MJ was the hottest rising superstar at the time, Laimbeer became the most hated man in sports outside of Detroit. People claimed he should not be playing basketball as his playstyle verged on felonious.
Still, Laimbeer stood up for himself. He never caved in to the criticisms and continued playing with a unique relentlessness. While others regard his playstyle as dirty, for Bill, it was just another day in the office. In his view, those sharp elbows, gut punches, and sneaky push-offs were all legal.
“I’ve never been arrested,” Laimbeer said in 1988, via the Los Angeles Times. “I never hit a bartender or even picked a fight on the street. In basketball, I play to win. But I play within the rules. When I don’t, I get a technical. I go for the ball, not the jugular.”
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An offensive icon?
Laimbeer may just be a victim of history. Those who understood why he played the way he did realized that the two-time NBA Champion was a legit baller. He didn’t just revolutionize defense with his brutal play; Laimbeer also changed the game with his offensive chops. The Los Angeles Lakers, who the Pistons swept in the 1989 NBA Finals, knew how difficult it was to play against Laimbeer.
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“What he has, actually, is a pretty good perimeter game on offense. “You can’t leave him out there,” explained the Laker assistant, Bill Bertka. “He shoots like a forward. He can’t jump an inch, but if you leave him out at the top of the key, he has this jump shot. He’s made himself into a pro player.”
The Lakers’ James Worthy agreed, “He has evolved this style of play, and it works for him. Detroit has this modified attack: They take your head off and Laimbeer leads it.”
NBA fans claim the stretch bigs emerged in the late 90s and early 2000s with the rise of Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Love, and others. These players prompted teams to revisit their playbooks, given their ability to play like guards despite having bodies built for bigs.
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But way before these players, Laimbeer was already knocking down shots from the perimeter with his quick-release jumper. He averaged as many as 17.5 points and snagged 13.1 boards. Say what you want about him, but Laimbeer was a true pioneer of the power forward position on offense and defense.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.