The Lakers won back to back titles in 1987-8 finals. The Pistons won in 1989. In the video you have the Lakers winning 1987 then in 1989. Other than that good video.
6:55 Can we get a shoutout to the ref for literally dragging 240-pound Scottie off the court while watching the game? I mean, in today's game he probably would have blown a whistle but he was like nah let's just yank him outta here. I watched most of Laimbeer's career and he was universally detested. It wasn't just pros, it was college, it was off the floor. Loved being hated, and what can you say about a guy like that? But also: huge props to the channel for acknoweldging his outside shot. He wasn't "one of" the original stretch bigs. he was the first. If he had played clean I would have admired him a lot, but every game he did things that were way out of line. "“I have to assume his mom and dad like Bill,” Kurt Rambis said, “but you would have to verify it.”
As in all stories there are heroes and villains, Laimbeer was a villain but also a winner, taking advantage of his big size and his dirty way of playing. I used to hate him, but this guy brought great attraction to the NBA in those years because he faced the best players of those years and in all of history like Bird, Magic and Jordan, and he was able to beat them.
bruh, those floors have no friction, you could be a 10lb weakling and still move that much mass. As evidenced by the fact that it's Joey Crawford, a little dumpling man that looks like he's had three strokes
@@qqw743 if their soles were made of polyester, somewhat. But there's also the factor of pressure on the surface being much greater for the upright person
As a Detroit native, Bill Laimbeer was always my favorite player. He seemed to genuinely enjoy playing the villain, like the more hated he was, the better he played and the more fun he was having. Aside from all the cheap shots and dirty tricks, he was actually a really good player as well.
I'm from Michigan and Bill Laimbeer and the rest of the Bad Boys are freaking legends. As you point out the NBA had its Celtics, Lakers and Bull's glamor dynasties with the ugly-ass Detroit Pistons in between. People may not have liked them but they didn't give a fuck and just beat everyone. Great content BTW. You deserve to have more subs.
I wish we had something about how Bill's teammates felt about him. HE and IT were close friends. Pretty sure his teammates liked him. Also pretty sure that the guys on other teams who hated him would have loved to have him on their team.
everyone hated Rodman too. Bulls coach Phil Jackson said he should be banned from the League. Then a few years later, it was Rodman who was THE key factor in the Bulls next 3 titles from 96 to 98.
Right on. I get why players hate him but as a fan he made those bulls pistons games and pistons Celtics games highly dramatic. Even as a Jordan fan I Loved the interview where he shits on Jordan in his prime
Probably my favorite player all time. When he was on “sabbatical” from ND, he took classes at a technical college. He was shooting around before a tournament at that college. (He didn’t play.) The technical college where my dad taught and kept the scorebook for, was playing there. I was in 6th grade and had just started liking basketball. I saw him shooting and walked sheepishly toward to court. He invited me to shoot with him. Although I did mostly rebounding since you always have change back on a make, I still remember making a few and having HIM pass the ball back to ME.
@@sirjer73 😂😂😂😂😂 how do figure that? They were out and we SWEPT them! With them? We win in six we were clearly the better team! So with what happened the year before you would concede we would have won if Zeke hadn’t gotten hurt??? Miss me with illogical logic!
@@dexterdogg hey bro the strength of your team was your 3 headed backcourt of Zeke, Dumars, and Vinnie Johnson. So Byron Scott hamstring popped prior to the finals and then Magic's hammy went in I believe game one of the finals. Remember the Lakers were undefeated going into the finals and apparently Pat Riley instead of resting an older team whom went to 8 finals in 10 years. Decided to run a mini boot camp and ran the Lakers ragged in preparation for the 89 finals. How are you going to compare the two situations when Scott/ Magic played a combined 1 game to Zeke unfortunate ankle injury in game 6. You guys won congratulations but let's not act like a team missing their starting backcourt and let alone the greatest point guard and a mount Rushmore figure in Michigan's own Magic Johnson!!!!
As a Pistons fan, these guys sacrificed a lot to bring a championship to Detroit. They, both Laimbeer and Isiah, were willing to be hated by everybody in order to do it. They might have been dirtier than everybody else. But they also played harder and wanted to win more than anybody else. Us Detroit fans really appreciate what they brought to the city.
@@sugarnads For two years after working their everloving ass's off through the 1980s...they were World Champs...defeating All Comers in the 88-89 and 89- 90 seasons ! THAT!...was NO accident!... Show some friggen RESPECT!
@@brettrobinson2901 punks and trash players dont get aby respect. That is why laimbeer is a pariah and isaiah has spent a lifetime trying to repair his reputation and when asked about the bad boys era, isiah prefers to not talk about it.
@@arizonaFIREent nah.... if u cant take what i say... gtfo of my face... and if u think ur bigger than me .. then go ahead and see what happens. Bullies get their just due.
Not one, THEE DIRTIEST player in the NBA PERIOD. Honestly I liked Bill Laimbeer, he did what he had to do and Won with the bad boys Pistons. Funny thing is that none of his piston team mates ever bad mouth him. Crazy huh. Peace to Laimbeer and that's coming from a Lakers fan
Then there's what Charles Barkley said about Laimbeer: "I think he's a very fine player, he can play on my team anytime. He fouls you hard but doesn't deliberately go for the face".
Larry Bird said that Laimbeer, compared to other rough players, had a tendency to consciously try to cause injuries, such as tripping you up to turn an ankle. That is different from people like Rick Mahorn, who was just rough, or Rodman, who played 100% all the time on defense.
Back in the day, the pick and pop was run inside of the three point arc. Today 20 footers are known as the worst shot in basketball but it was where Bill laimbeer excelled. At the end of his career he began incorporating more of the three-pointer but for most of his career he was a long 2-point threat. Secondly, The foul on bird was done because the rules that time allowed free contact after the initial foul. Physical teams like Detroit would make sure that the shot never got off by laying hard hits after the initial foul.
I liked Laimbeer. He was a guy who wasn't the greatest natural athlete but worked really hard and became a very solid player. The NBA was so good back then. Much more physical. It's unwatchable nowadays.
I absolutely hated Laimbeer as a kid. Still do. But that's what made the NBA interesting back in the day. You had plenty of heroes, but you also had a handful of villains, and Laimbeer was as evil and as dickish as they came. He was just good enough that you had to respect him being in the league, no one ever suggested he couldn't play. It was a different era, the flagrant foul didn't exist, so you got these hard and dirty fouls without worry about suspensions or fines.
Bill Laimbeer is one of the best heels in NBA history! The villain that loved every minute of hate and scorn the opposing fans bestowed upon him during his career. Take another bow, Bill, you are loved and admired by all. Us Detroit fans ate that $hit up! Learn to love it and live with it because the Detroit Pistons were the best thing going in the NBA at that time! Sorry MJ, Bird, and Magic for the problems Big, Bad Bill and crew caused you............................................................NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your 1989-90 NBA Back-to-Back World Champions!! Bad Boys 4 Life!!!
Say what you will about Laimbeer. He could play in any era. He could run the court, he could shoot from the outside, he played defense and he was 6'10". In today's game he would be a superstar. Every championship team would want him on their team. Most people don't know he went to Notre Dame or know he was expelled 4 times. He was the ultimate bad boy and he couldn't have been a better fit for those Pistons teams.
"Superstar"? C'mon man lets not overdo it. He'd be a joke defensively in this era because there's nobody in the post to guard, and you get ejected for dirty fouls. Imagine him and his slow feet having to switch out onto a wing with speed, shooting, and handles. His 32% 3 pt shooting wouldn't be valuable either. He'd be a joke today, an absolute joke.
@@Johnny-xj5qu He wouldn't need to play defense, nobody plays defense in this era. He would rebound, get layups and jumpshots running the court, and his 3 point shooting would be encouraged which would raise his average considerably. Teams today would want him on their teams just like they did when he was playing.
@@jooson2826 nba defense is harder to play because every player has to deal with guys who can handle and shoot. Back then, you could sag. So many casuals who don’t understand the game think that was actually defense. If Laimbeer had to step out 30 ft to play D In his era, you’d say his defense was a joke.
@@Johnny-xj5qu While I agree with you. I think you also need to understand NBA of the 80s. It was more just a part of the game. He was worst than some but less than others. I was playing high school ball back then. It was even at that level. If a person was going for a layup you fouled him. It was in part to make him earn the points at the line but also to get in his head. It is in part why the Pistons' "Jordan Rules" lead to the NBA "Jordan Rules" the ones that gave Jordan the ability to dominate even more than he would have.
If the players are allowed to beat each other up they will do that. Today's rules were designed to prevent that from taking place. I suspect Laimbeer's Larry take down would have by today's rules earned a five (5) game suspension at least!!! These severe penalties would discourage that type of play because now that player will not be able to help his team for five or more games. This would hurt their team especially during a playoff series!!!!
I loved Bill Laimbeer. I always knew something was going to happen. I especially liked the shocked expression on his face after being whistled for hitting someone in the back of the head.
I would take Bill and the Bad Boy Pistons over anything the NBA has to currently offer. Yes, most the players and the fans hated him, but not his team and Pistons fans, and I think that's all he cared about.
"Undoubtedly the dirtiest player" is incorrect. There is plenty of doubt. Karl Malone was worse, for one thing, deliberately injuring Isiah Thomas and never apologizing. Count the stitches and then try to find even one Pistons hard foul that comes close; you cannot. Malone got away with it because, simply, he wasn't a Detroit Piston. Basketball historians will also note Kermit Washington's claim to fame for dirty play in an earlier era. Those of us alive at the time were aware that the whole league was against the Detroit Pistons. This is how "undoubtedly" get lazily regurgitated thousands of times and becomes the conventional wisdom, with little concern for accuracy.
Yeah the Oakland Raiders were hated for being dirty. The Pistons took the emblem for themselves. They embraced that image. Thomas and Lambeir were the leaders of that. He was dirty but you'd love to have him on your team.
You are using the names Karl Malone and Kermit Washington, 2 players who did have 2 of the dirtiest single plays in league history. 1 not ironically was against the Pistons who deserved some revenge, I mean if any team ever asked for their star player to be hurt, it was them. Bill was far worse because he did it game after game after game. He was an absolute punk, and I can't think of a dirtier player ever... Maybe Bruce Bowen who intentionally ran under shooters to induce sprained ankles was close, but it wasn't as frequent as Bill's antics.
@@Johnny-xj5qu Bird Said the same thing about Lambeir. He said he would slide his foot under your foot when you were taking a jump shot so you would land on it and twist your ankle. I have watched the Malone incident several times. I just don't see the act of the swinging of the elbow that makes it look intentional. Not saying it wasn't. If it was its the most hidden intentional move ever.
Ironically, Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman are my all time FAVOURITE NBA Players! Well, Rodman with the Pistons and Bulls. After that, he no longer was a bigger help than a hindrance. But during his time with Detroit and Chicago, Rodman was THE MAN. As for Laimbeer agitating, then walking away, if you look on youtube, he was probably in more fights than anyone else in the NBA.
As a black dude who came from poverty. I loved the fact that a guy who grow up middle class, barely got drafted, and wasn’t a big time player caused hell in the nba. I don’t he started in college to a 15 and 11 player.
Bill wasn’t just middle class, when he was playing they used to say that Bill Lambier was the only player in the NBA who’s father made more money than he did. His father was the CEO of a large corporation and players weren’t making $20-25M/year back then.
My brother, I think you have been misinformed .... Laimbeer was hardly middle class!?! Laimbeer grew up in Palos Verdes, CA, one of the most affluent areas in Southern California. He attended Palos Verdes High School and later accepted a full ride scholarship to Notre Dame. He was hardly a "pull himself up by the boot straps" kid. Also, because I attended a rival high school of Palos Verdes while Laimbeer was attending school there, I can tell you, he was an a$$hole even in high school!!
The rules changed going into the early 90's. Perimeter fouls got called more often, but most importantly, traveling for excessive steps when driving to the basket disappeared as a turn over. And guess who's game that helped? Jordan. Wilt Chamberlain said it best: The NBA changed the rules to take Wilts game away, twice. The NBA changed the rules to HELP Jordan's game. The NBA wanted a star and picked Jordan. Since this is about Lambier, let's be honest. If other teams would have had the talent and the team commitment to play like the Pistons, they would have. Chuck Daily knew how he wanted this team to play, and was willing to discard any player not able or willing to buy into his system. Lambier, Mahorn, Salley, Edwards all had game. But they also had the stones to force their will on other players. If Bird had been a Piston, he would fit right in. Jordan, not so much. I love Magic, but no one on the Lakers would have fit in the mold of Piston play.
The sad thing is Bill Laimbeer has more class than most of the players have today. At least he kept his political views to himself and didn't demand a trade when things didn't go his way.
Bill laimbeer was a saint that can do no wrong. He played by the rules of the day. Every team would love to have him as their teammate. Put this many in the hall of fame
He certainly should be in the Hall of Fame. But the league doesn't want to upset the superstars that hated him by putting him in there. Same reason Isiah wasn't on the Olympic team.
Lambert played with some of the most Powerful Big men in the NBA that didn't like him. And he had to play to survive but it worked he was successful in it.
The difference between physical and dirty is trying to hurt the player.Laimbeer would stick his foot underneath when Robert Parish' would shoot his jump shot so he would land on it and re- hurt an already twisted ankle..He was dirty.You never see Laimbeer with any old opponents; that should tell you something.
Larry detailed this in an interview. Typical Larry he had to go for the kill by saying that Laimbeer wasn’t good enough to make it clean so he has to resort to being dirty.
I loved Pistons and Laimbeer! It was THE most interesting team to watch, and Laimbeer was ahead of his times with his style of play, very unusual for a center in the 80/90s. Plus - a Pistons game was always the show ;)
Here's a submission for most hated player just for the sole reason he existed on the Sun's roster for years mainly for his unrivaled skill at enraging Kareem to swing on him and get him thrown out of multiple games, Dennis Autry.
I think the Bulls and Celtics bonded on some level due to their shared hatred of the Pistons. Definitely in the case of MJ and Bird. They could share war wound stories.
Lambeer was the dirtiest player ever. His goal in how he played was to injure you, instead of just playing better than you. He brought that same mentality to the WNBA when he coached the Detroit Shock. The best play of Boston against Lambeer was when The Chief knocked him out. Isiah Thomas, while a great player, was not selected for the Dream Team because of his reputation ans association with Lambeer and the dirty playing of the Pistons.
He was not the dirtiest player in NBA history just the biggest villan. For example that bird play were Bird threw a punch at him. If you get the right video & watch it real slow you will see Rodman's leg actually ended up wrapping around Bird's neck & that had more to do with Bird going to the ground. Also how Parrish was not ejected for throwing those punches & how Michael was not ejected for throwing those punches was a crime. Finally he deserves to be in the NBA hall of fame. When he retired he was one of very few who had 10,000+ points & 10,000+ rebounds in their career. But politics have kept him out. He for sure deserved it way before Rodman who he actually taught how to rebound.
Lambier was a member of our golf club and was so competitively obnoxious and rude they finally kicked him out of the Club….truly a very bad, unlikeable person.
Clyde Lovellette was dirtier than Laimbeer. Look him up. John Brisker, Cincy Powell, Bob Rule, Jerry Sloan, Mike Riordan, Norm Van Lier ... Kenyon Martin was a jerk too. The league itself REALLY hated Jack Molinas.
Much Gratitude Ps Lakers won 1987 and 1988 Pistons won 1989 and 1990 Bulls won a 3 Peat Rockets won 2 Peat Bulls won 3 Peat Sure won 1 Lakers won 3 Peat I think Gasol and Kobe 2 Peat ? Pps That was a heavy NBA era Ppps Nowadays 2 Peats (Back to Back) are rare (after The Heat).
I’m not sure anyone could truly say Laimbeer wasn’t a good player. In fact, that might be exactly why he was hated so much. He was a skilled player and didn’t need to play dirty to have an impact on the game. But he repeatedly chose to try to hurt other players, especially other top-tier players. And his sneering public BS statements/lies claiming innocence after every infraction insulted fans’ intelligence. He could’ve said he was just delivering a hard foul and people would’ve respected him a bit more. Bottom line: He was a lying, poor loser who tried to injure opponents. No excuse.
The most hated players next episodes - Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Clyde Lovellette, Jerry Solan, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Darryl Dawkins.
I lived in Detroit from 1987-1991 and the people in Detroit absolutely LOVED Bill Laimbeer. I don't think he was a "DIRTY" player like Karl Malone was, but he was definitely a rough-house, hard-nosed player. He and Rick Mahorn were outright murder to opposing teams, and Rick Mahorn used to get into it with the Pistons for years before he actually joined them. In one game, Mahorn once knocked out several of Isiah Thomas's teeth and Isiah called him out to the parking lot after the game, that was hilarious.
No, he was dirty, dirty, dirty - not just rough-house, and not merely trying to get in someone's head, which is a legitimate tactic. Ellbows, dragging a shooter down in a way that ensures no shot will go in; all hard-nose but at least "up front". And granted, an elbow can injure, but its unlikely to end a career, or take someone out of action. As noted above, Lambeer, when Parish went up for a shot, Lambeer would slide his foot to position it under Parish's foot when he came down, hoping to twist his ankle. As Bird tells it, he tried the same thing on Bird, who promptly returned the favor on an ensuing play. Said Bird, Lambeer never did it again (or at least, never to Bird). The slide-the-foot-move is dirty, dirty, dirty, because it is specifically designed to injure/disable, possibly even permanently, while being very difficult to be seen and called by the refs. Think about it -- if it became a commonly employed tactic, how many players might be hobbled, possibly robbed of career, on the fans denied the chance to see these players dazzle us legitimate basketball brilliance.
The Lakers won back to back titles in 1987-8 finals. The Pistons won in 1989. In the video you have the Lakers winning 1987 then in 1989. Other than that good video.
Back to back bad boys sending michael Jordan home packing and Larry and the Celtics
@@ezio_Winchester so did Boston swept Jordan twice.
That's very true the the Laker's won in 1987-88 then the Pistons won Back to Back in 1989-90!!!
Bill was dirty and smart....if you can get in someone's head...well that's part of the game. Rodman Learned some of his stuff from Laimbeer.
I agree, but I don’t recall Rodman repeatedly trying to end other players’ careers.
6:55 Can we get a shoutout to the ref for literally dragging 240-pound Scottie off the court while watching the game? I mean, in today's game he probably would have blown a whistle but he was like nah let's just yank him outta here. I watched most of Laimbeer's career and he was universally detested. It wasn't just pros, it was college, it was off the floor. Loved being hated, and what can you say about a guy like that? But also: huge props to the channel for acknoweldging his outside shot. He wasn't "one of" the original stretch bigs. he was the first. If he had played clean I would have admired him a lot, but every game he did things that were way out of line.
"“I have to assume his mom and dad like Bill,” Kurt Rambis said, “but you would have to verify it.”
Ironically, the ref dragging Pippen is Joey Crawford.
As in all stories there are heroes and villains, Laimbeer was a villain but also a winner, taking advantage of his big size and his dirty way of playing. I used to hate him, but this guy brought great attraction to the NBA in those years because he faced the best players of those years and in all of history like Bird, Magic and Jordan, and he was able to beat them.
bruh, those floors have no friction, you could be a 10lb weakling and still move that much mass. As evidenced by the fact that it's Joey Crawford, a little dumpling man that looks like he's had three strokes
@@Azraelfromgamefax But wouldn't the lack of floor friction also impact the person pulling, depending on the grip of the soles?
@@qqw743 if their soles were made of polyester, somewhat. But there's also the factor of pressure on the surface being much greater for the upright person
As a Detroit native, Bill Laimbeer was always my favorite player. He seemed to genuinely enjoy playing the villain, like the more hated he was, the better he played and the more fun he was having. Aside from all the cheap shots and dirty tricks, he was actually a really good player as well.
He definitely was a good player, but there are ways of being a “villain” without trying to end other players’ careers.
I'm from Michigan and Bill Laimbeer and the rest of the Bad Boys are freaking legends. As you point out the NBA had its Celtics, Lakers and Bull's glamor dynasties with the ugly-ass Detroit Pistons in between. People may not have liked them but they didn't give a fuck and just beat everyone.
Great content BTW. You deserve to have more subs.
I give them this much credit, they changed the game. Now there're flagrant fouls, lol.
Loving this series so far! Draymond Green definitely deserves an episode as well
"draymond green kicks Steven Adams in the balls: part 1"
I wish we had something about how Bill's teammates felt about him. HE and IT were close friends. Pretty sure his teammates liked him. Also pretty sure that the guys on other teams who hated him would have loved to have him on their team.
Isiah and John Salley both said he was the ultimate teammate.
Yes they would...and they would have a rugged nature that they lacked...along with Rick MaHorn and Moses Malone I loved the way he played...
everyone hated Rodman too. Bulls coach Phil Jackson said he should be banned from the League. Then a few years later, it was Rodman who was THE key factor in the Bulls next 3 titles from 96 to 98.
Bill Laimbeer made the NBA in the 80s and early 90s more interesting to watch.
Right on. I get why players hate him but as a fan he made those bulls pistons games and pistons Celtics games highly dramatic.
Even as a Jordan fan I Loved the interview where he shits on Jordan in his prime
You guys love watching Zaza too?
@@zorojuro03if he would fight like Laimbeer sure
Probably my favorite player all time. When he was on “sabbatical” from ND, he took classes at a technical college. He was shooting around before a tournament at that college. (He didn’t play.) The technical college where my dad taught and kept the scorebook for, was playing there. I was in 6th grade and had just started liking basketball. I saw him shooting and walked sheepishly toward to court. He invited me to shoot with him. Although I did mostly rebounding since you always have change back on a make, I still remember making a few and having HIM pass the ball back to ME.
That’s a really cool experience!
Well in the “D” we love him! And he still never fouled Kareem in 1988 finals! That would have been what would become a 3-peat
Yeah if Byron Scott and Magic Johnson don't have hamstring injuries in 89, there's a good chance yall don't win!!!
@@sirjer73 😂😂😂😂😂 how do figure that? They were out and we SWEPT them! With them? We win in six we were clearly the better team! So with what happened the year before you would concede we would have won if Zeke hadn’t gotten hurt??? Miss me with illogical logic!
@@dexterdogg hey bro the strength of your team was your 3 headed backcourt of Zeke, Dumars, and Vinnie Johnson. So Byron Scott hamstring popped prior to the finals and then Magic's hammy went in I believe game one of the finals. Remember the Lakers were undefeated going into the finals and apparently Pat Riley instead of resting an older team whom went to 8 finals in 10 years. Decided to run a mini boot camp and ran the Lakers ragged in preparation for the 89 finals. How are you going to compare the two situations when Scott/ Magic played a combined 1 game to Zeke unfortunate ankle injury in game 6. You guys won congratulations but let's not act like a team missing their starting backcourt and let alone the greatest point guard and a mount Rushmore figure in Michigan's own Magic Johnson!!!!
Is anyone surprised that Laimbeer is, and forever will be a hero in Michigan? lol
Detroit-Sewer City.
As he should be
As a Pistons fan, these guys sacrificed a lot to bring a championship to Detroit. They, both Laimbeer and Isiah, were willing to be hated by everybody in order to do it. They might have been dirtier than everybody else. But they also played harder and wanted to win more than anybody else. Us Detroit fans really appreciate what they brought to the city.
Oh yeah they beat a broken down celtics team playing on one leg.
Heroes.
@@sugarnads For two years after working their everloving ass's off through the 1980s...they were World Champs...defeating All Comers in the 88-89 and 89- 90 seasons ! THAT!...was NO accident!... Show some friggen RESPECT!
@@brettrobinson2901 punks and trash players dont get aby respect. That is why laimbeer is a pariah and isaiah has spent a lifetime trying to repair his reputation and when asked about the bad boys era, isiah prefers to not talk about it.
@@ibashcommunists6847 you wouldn't call them that to their face UA-cam gangsta.... Bet your broke ass is waiting for another stimulus
@@arizonaFIREent nah.... if u cant take what i say... gtfo of my face... and if u think ur bigger than me .. then go ahead and see what happens. Bullies get their just due.
Not one, THEE DIRTIEST player in the NBA PERIOD. Honestly I liked Bill Laimbeer, he did what he had to do and Won with the bad boys Pistons. Funny thing is that none of his piston team mates ever bad mouth him. Crazy huh. Peace to Laimbeer and that's coming from a Lakers fan
Then there's what Charles Barkley said about Laimbeer: "I think he's a very fine player, he can play on my team anytime. He fouls you hard but doesn't deliberately go for the face".
Larry Bird said that Laimbeer, compared to other rough players, had a tendency to consciously try to cause injuries, such as tripping you up to turn an ankle. That is different from people like Rick Mahorn, who was just rough, or Rodman, who played 100% all the time on defense.
People also forget how hated his teammate Rick Mahorn was hated almost as much. Celtics fans nicknamed them McFilthy and McNasty.
Great video. I will never forget how Bill manhandled Kareem in the ‘89 finals.
Kareem had his own dirty moments earlier in his career.
Kareem was 42 years old and on fumes.
Really? Kareem over the age of 40 who averaged 10 ppg/4 rebounds that season? Not exactly a crowning achievement.
Back in the day, the pick and pop was run inside of the three point arc. Today 20 footers are known as the worst shot in basketball but it was where Bill laimbeer excelled. At the end of his career he began incorporating more of the three-pointer but for most of his career he was a long 2-point threat.
Secondly, The foul on bird was done because the rules that time allowed free contact after the initial foul. Physical teams like Detroit would make sure that the shot never got off by laying hard hits after the initial foul.
I liked Laimbeer. He was a guy who wasn't the greatest natural athlete but worked really hard and became a very solid player. The NBA was so good back then. Much more physical. It's unwatchable nowadays.
it wasn’t much more physical
Bird playing with a broken face or blood on the shirt. Not much more physical. Sure.
Those Pistons, Celtics, Lakers, Bulls series were my favorite basketball seasons.
I absolutely hated Laimbeer as a kid. Still do. But that's what made the NBA interesting back in the day. You had plenty of heroes, but you also had a handful of villains, and Laimbeer was as evil and as dickish as they came. He was just good enough that you had to respect him being in the league, no one ever suggested he couldn't play. It was a different era, the flagrant foul didn't exist, so you got these hard and dirty fouls without worry about suspensions or fines.
Kind of the Bill Romanowski of the NBA
Bill Laimbeer is one of the best heels in NBA history! The villain that loved every minute of hate and scorn the opposing fans bestowed upon him during his career. Take another bow, Bill, you are loved and admired by all. Us Detroit fans ate that $hit up!
Learn to love it and live with it because the Detroit Pistons were the best thing going in the NBA at that time! Sorry MJ, Bird, and Magic for the problems Big, Bad Bill and crew caused you............................................................NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your 1989-90 NBA Back-to-Back World Champions!! Bad Boys 4 Life!!!
Say what you will about Laimbeer. He could play in any era. He could run the court, he could shoot from the outside, he played defense and he was 6'10". In today's game he would be a superstar. Every championship team would want him on their team. Most people don't know he went to Notre Dame or know he was expelled 4 times. He was the ultimate bad boy and he couldn't have been a better fit for those Pistons teams.
Every other team wanted him on their team.
"Superstar"? C'mon man lets not overdo it. He'd be a joke defensively in this era because there's nobody in the post to guard, and you get ejected for dirty fouls. Imagine him and his slow feet having to switch out onto a wing with speed, shooting, and handles. His 32% 3 pt shooting wouldn't be valuable either. He'd be a joke today, an absolute joke.
@@Johnny-xj5qu He wouldn't need to play defense, nobody plays defense in this era. He would rebound, get layups and jumpshots running the court, and his 3 point shooting would be encouraged which would raise his average considerably. Teams today would want him on their teams just like they did when he was playing.
@@Johnny-xj5qu NBA defense today is a joke
@@jooson2826 nba defense is harder to play because every player has to deal with guys who can handle and shoot. Back then, you could sag. So many casuals who don’t understand the game think that was actually defense. If Laimbeer had to step out 30 ft to play D In his era, you’d say his defense was a joke.
People in Detroit would never say Bill was dirty. He was a Bad Boy who played hard and won.
They'd be delusional. Any fan who hates or loves him should at least be honest and admit the truth.
@@Johnny-xj5qu While I agree with you. I think you also need to understand NBA of the 80s. It was more just a part of the game. He was worst than some but less than others. I was playing high school ball back then. It was even at that level. If a person was going for a layup you fouled him. It was in part to make him earn the points at the line but also to get in his head. It is in part why the Pistons' "Jordan Rules" lead to the NBA "Jordan Rules" the ones that gave Jordan the ability to dominate even more than he would have.
This is amazing actually to learn the history of nba. Definitely subscribed
Laimbeer should be in the hall of fame
WWE Heel Hall of Fame.
Thomas,Rodman,Lambieer...💥
Bad Boys Forever!!!!
Love those next plays. Clips. Giving context to Jordan’s swaggy layup. He influenced Jordan to rise above and boy did he lol
8:00.... Zeke had his back😂😂😂😂😂
a teenage kid talking about basketball in the 1980's and 90's, UA-cam gotta love it...... but I enjoyed the video !
If the players are allowed to beat each other up they will do that. Today's rules were designed to prevent that from taking place. I suspect Laimbeer's Larry take down would have by today's rules earned a five (5) game suspension at least!!! These severe penalties would discourage that type of play because now that player will not be able to help his team for five or more games. This would hurt their team especially during a playoff series!!!!
the pistons really hit the offensive boards it was hard to fast break them
Great video! I always hate Bill as he acted like a total goon but respected what he brought to the Bad Boys.
I loved Bill Laimbeer. I always knew something was going to happen. I especially liked the shocked expression on his face after being whistled for hitting someone in the back of the head.
The Jordan rules actually started with Wilkins after he sent them home. That's what changed them to a defensive team
I would take Bill and the Bad Boy Pistons over anything the NBA has to currently offer. Yes, most the players and the fans hated him, but not his team and Pistons fans, and I think that's all he cared about.
Yes that is true, and that is a team that almost did a threepeat and aftually the ref whistled a non existing foul to make it not a threepeat.
As a pistons fan I feel like I'm the only one who likes the bad boy teams while also recognizing how most of the team were a bunch of assholes
1. LeChina Bum
2. Lamebeer
3. Isaiah
4. Marbury
5. K. Malone
Liked the video. Technically, Bird wasn’t ejected for that fight, but for throwing the ball afterwards.
"Undoubtedly the dirtiest player" is incorrect. There is plenty of doubt. Karl Malone was worse, for one thing, deliberately injuring Isiah Thomas and never apologizing. Count the stitches and then try to find even one Pistons hard foul that comes close; you cannot. Malone got away with it because, simply, he wasn't a Detroit Piston. Basketball historians will also note Kermit Washington's claim to fame for dirty play in an earlier era.
Those of us alive at the time were aware that the whole league was against the Detroit Pistons. This is how "undoubtedly" get lazily regurgitated thousands of times and becomes the conventional wisdom, with little concern for accuracy.
chill out lol its just a video
Yeah the Oakland Raiders were hated for being dirty. The Pistons took the emblem for themselves. They embraced that image. Thomas and Lambeir were the leaders of that. He was dirty but you'd love to have him on your team.
Let me guess. You are a Piston fan.
You are using the names Karl Malone and Kermit Washington, 2 players who did have 2 of the dirtiest single plays in league history. 1 not ironically was against the Pistons who deserved some revenge, I mean if any team ever asked for their star player to be hurt, it was them. Bill was far worse because he did it game after game after game. He was an absolute punk, and I can't think of a dirtier player ever... Maybe Bruce Bowen who intentionally ran under shooters to induce sprained ankles was close, but it wasn't as frequent as Bill's antics.
@@Johnny-xj5qu Bird Said the same thing about Lambeir. He said he would slide his foot under your foot when you were taking a jump shot so you would land on it and twist your ankle. I have watched the Malone incident several times. I just don't see the act of the swinging of the elbow that makes it look intentional. Not saying it wasn't. If it was its the most hidden intentional move ever.
Ironically, Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman are my all time FAVOURITE NBA Players! Well, Rodman with the Pistons and Bulls. After that, he no longer was a bigger help than a hindrance. But during his time with Detroit and Chicago, Rodman was THE MAN. As for Laimbeer agitating, then walking away, if you look on youtube, he was probably in more fights than anyone else in the NBA.
As a black dude who came from poverty. I loved the fact that a guy who grow up middle class, barely got drafted, and wasn’t a big time player caused hell in the nba. I don’t he started in college to a 15 and 11 player.
Bill wasn’t just middle class, when he was playing they used to say that Bill Lambier was the only player in the NBA who’s father made more money than he did. His father was the CEO of a large corporation and players weren’t making $20-25M/year back then.
My brother, I think you have been misinformed .... Laimbeer was hardly middle class!?! Laimbeer grew up in Palos Verdes, CA, one of the most affluent areas in Southern California. He attended Palos Verdes High School and later accepted a full ride scholarship to Notre Dame. He was hardly a "pull himself up by the boot straps" kid. Also, because I attended a rival high school of Palos Verdes while Laimbeer was attending school there, I can tell you, he was an a$$hole even in high school!!
@@nicktheus7629 lol.. Love these comments.. so much history!! Real talk!!
He was a fine player basket wise.
And he was not middle class he was rich they had manufacturing factory.
@@nicktheus7629 you attended rival high school.
Lambeer was loved by his teams
Laimbeer did what needed to be done and if that team was more healthy to start the 90s they would still be fierce in the early 90s.
The rules changed going into the early 90's. Perimeter fouls got called more often, but most importantly, traveling for excessive steps when driving to the basket disappeared as a turn over. And guess who's game that helped? Jordan. Wilt Chamberlain said it best: The NBA changed the rules to take Wilts game away, twice. The NBA changed the rules to HELP Jordan's game. The NBA wanted a star and picked Jordan.
Since this is about Lambier, let's be honest. If other teams would have had the talent and the team commitment to play like the Pistons, they would have. Chuck Daily knew how he wanted this team to play, and was willing to discard any player not able or willing to buy into his system. Lambier, Mahorn, Salley, Edwards all had game. But they also had the stones to force their will on other players. If Bird had been a Piston, he would fit right in. Jordan, not so much. I love Magic, but no one on the Lakers would have fit in the mold of Piston play.
Jackie moon and the tropics🤣 Top 5 player of all time love you bill
Laimbeer was a legend. This man has been in more brawls than I can count. He certainly wasn't afraid to go at guys, that much is for sure!
The sad thing is Bill Laimbeer has more class than most of the players have today. At least he kept his political views to himself and didn't demand a trade when things didn't go his way.
No off court issues, either. Married to the same woman since 1979, no arrests, close to his family. Lots of very quiet charity work.
Lambo beat up Barkley too at the palace. Either 89 or 90? 1 of the other
5:59 Supposedly there is only one inch difference between Hale and Laimbeer, but it sure looks like a lot more than that here.
This series is awesome so far!! Can’t wait to watch more vids from you ^_^
Bill laimbeer was a saint that can do no wrong. He played by the rules of the day. Every team would love to have him as their teammate. Put this many in the hall of fame
He certainly should be in the Hall of Fame. But the league doesn't want to upset the superstars that hated him by putting him in there. Same reason Isiah wasn't on the Olympic team.
He still got two rings tho.
*though
Lambert played with some of the most Powerful Big men in the NBA that didn't like him.
And he had to play to survive but it worked he was successful in it.
She was Larry Bird’s mother favorite player
Laimbeer actually reminds me of “Lupovich” from the 2001 Snoop Dogg movie, “Bones”
Great video. You got my sub
I must disagree about BL's ability. I think his violent play was because he was limited athletically. Good video!
My man bill
Lakers won in 88, not 89. 1:15
The difference between physical and dirty is trying to hurt the player.Laimbeer would stick his foot underneath when Robert Parish' would shoot his jump shot so he would land on it and re- hurt an already twisted ankle..He was dirty.You never see Laimbeer with any old opponents; that should tell you something.
Larry detailed this in an interview. Typical Larry he had to go for the kill by saying that Laimbeer wasn’t good enough to make it clean so he has to resort to being dirty.
Parish was a punk.
Lambeer was one of the original Sleestacks from the Land of the Lost. Look it up
lmao!!
@@nagomizik9358 I'm not kidding
@@surfshack2 shit....just looked it up....I never knew
I loved Pistons and Laimbeer! It was THE most interesting team to watch, and Laimbeer was ahead of his times with his style of play, very unusual for a center in the 80/90s. Plus - a Pistons game was always the show ;)
Here's a submission for most hated player just for the sole reason he existed on the Sun's roster for years mainly for his unrivaled skill at enraging Kareem to swing on him and get him thrown out of multiple games, Dennis Autry.
When he "tackled" Bird, it looked like he was pulled down on top of him by his own teammate
Bad Boys for life !
I think the Bulls and Celtics bonded on some level due to their shared hatred of the Pistons. Definitely in the case of MJ and Bird. They could share war wound stories.
Loving the vids man I just subbed
Detroit Pistons 1987-1990 Most Hated Team in HX
I still can't believe that Parish didn't get kicked out of game 5 in Boston after attacking Laimbeer
Simmons should be the worm #2. He'd fit perfectly. Leave the scoring to the offers. Boards and rebounds and long passes etc.
Lakers: '80, '82, '85, '87, and '88
They lost to Detroit in '89
Lambeer was the dirtiest player ever. His goal in how he played was to injure you, instead of just playing better than you. He brought that same mentality to the WNBA when he coached the Detroit Shock.
The best play of Boston against Lambeer was when The Chief knocked him out.
Isiah Thomas, while a great player, was not selected for the Dream Team because of his reputation ans association with Lambeer and the dirty playing of the Pistons.
Loved the BAD BOYS !!! Bill was a Rockstar 😉👍
He was not the dirtiest player in NBA history just the biggest villan. For example that bird play were Bird threw a punch at him. If you get the right video & watch it real slow you will see Rodman's leg actually ended up wrapping around Bird's neck & that had more to do with Bird going to the ground. Also how Parrish was not ejected for throwing those punches & how Michael was not ejected for throwing those punches was a crime. Finally he deserves to be in the NBA hall of fame. When he retired he was one of very few who had 10,000+ points & 10,000+ rebounds in their career. But politics have kept him out. He for sure deserved it way before Rodman who he actually taught how to rebound.
Those Piston teams are sooo underrated. Isaiah beat 'em all. Bird never lost a Game to Jordans bulls in the playoffs. Just saying...
But like Barkley said, we all wished he was on our team.
Laimbeer was pretty rough and tumble considering he grew up in Palos Verdes Estates, one of the toniest neighborhoods in the country.
Lambier was a member of our golf club and was so competitively obnoxious and rude they finally kicked him out of the Club….truly a very bad, unlikeable person.
I still hate Bill Laimbeer and the fact that he's still living pisses me off.
Daymm bro!! 🥸
I wonder how much Lamibeer influenced Rodman. Rodman wasn't as dirty but he certainly was an instigator.
No one will ever replace Big Billy as my favorite Deeeee-troit bad boy. The Ivory Intimidator !!!
Clyde Lovellette was dirtier than Laimbeer. Look him up. John Brisker, Cincy Powell, Bob Rule, Jerry Sloan, Mike Riordan, Norm Van Lier ... Kenyon Martin was a jerk too. The league itself REALLY hated Jack Molinas.
Thank you, Robert Parrish.
He was awesome, but he wasn’t pretending he was a jerk. My buddies seen him being cranky when he got stuck behind an old lady at the casino
Much Gratitude
Ps Lakers won 1987 and 1988
Pistons won 1989 and 1990
Bulls won a 3 Peat
Rockets won 2 Peat
Bulls won 3 Peat
Sure won 1
Lakers won 3 Peat
I think Gasol and Kobe 2 Peat ?
Pps That was a heavy NBA era
Ppps Nowadays 2 Peats (Back to Back) are rare (after The Heat).
Since I started to follow the NBA in 1980, there is no player since I have hated more than Laimbeer.
Very well said.
Laimbeer is probably the only player to retire and no one cared they were happy he's gone
Beastie Boys "Tough Guy" is about him
I’m not sure anyone could truly say Laimbeer wasn’t a good player. In fact, that might be exactly why he was hated so much. He was a skilled player and didn’t need to play dirty to have an impact on the game. But he repeatedly chose to try to hurt other players, especially other top-tier players. And his sneering public BS statements/lies claiming innocence after every infraction insulted fans’ intelligence. He could’ve said he was just delivering a hard foul and people would’ve respected him a bit more. Bottom line: He was a lying, poor loser who tried to injure opponents. No excuse.
Laimbeer was a coward like Danny ainge
The most hated players next episodes - Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Clyde Lovellette, Jerry Solan, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Darryl Dawkins.
I lived in Detroit from 1987-1991 and the people in Detroit absolutely LOVED Bill Laimbeer. I don't think he was a "DIRTY" player like Karl Malone was, but he was definitely a rough-house, hard-nosed player. He and Rick Mahorn were outright murder to opposing teams, and Rick Mahorn used to get into it with the Pistons for years before he actually joined them. In one game, Mahorn once knocked out several of Isiah Thomas's teeth and Isiah called him out to the parking lot after the game, that was hilarious.
No, he was dirty, dirty, dirty - not just rough-house, and not merely trying to get in someone's head, which is a legitimate tactic. Ellbows, dragging a shooter down in a way that ensures no shot will go in; all hard-nose but at least "up front". And granted, an elbow can injure, but its unlikely to end a career, or take someone out of action. As noted above, Lambeer, when Parish went up for a shot, Lambeer would slide his foot to position it under Parish's foot when he came down, hoping to twist his ankle. As Bird tells it, he tried the same thing on Bird, who promptly returned the favor on an ensuing play. Said Bird, Lambeer never did it again (or at least, never to Bird). The slide-the-foot-move is dirty, dirty, dirty, because it is specifically designed to injure/disable, possibly even permanently, while being very difficult to be seen and called by the refs. Think about it -- if it became a commonly employed tactic, how many players might be hobbled, possibly robbed of career, on the fans denied the chance to see these players dazzle us legitimate basketball brilliance.
Still love Robert Parish clocking Laimbeer, or Lame-Beer.
would sure as hell loved to have had him as a team mate. he didnt let anyone mess with him. or his team.
Remember he was forced to play overseas he first year out the league. Before the cavs gave him a shot.
Bill Liambeer is the truth truly a genius
learn to spell
Learn to capitalize and punctuate before criticizing others.
Larry bird 3 shooting was 40 % plus I’m over 3 seasons
Bird isn’t considered a big. He’s a SF not PF/C like Laimbeer
80s and 90s defensive was fuckin great