Bill Davidson, Managing Partner of the Detroit Pistons and 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, has passed away at the age 86.
Memorial services are planned for noon on Tuesday at the Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
Davidson's wife, Karen, will take over as the owner of the Pistons. Details of her role and that of other family members will be worked out later.
Pistons president and general manager Joe Dumars was among those remembering Davidson today as the team gathered at the practice facility Davidson built in 1987-88.
"Integrity is the one character trait that defined him," said Dumars. "He once told me he'd rather hire a person with the most integrity than the smartest person in the room. He told me whatever decisions I made, he agreed with, even before I made them."
Dumars continued, "That's an amazing amount of freedom, but there's an amazing amount of responsibility that comes with such trust."
Richard Hamilton, the longest tenured Piston player, said, "We'll miss the days when he visited the practice facility and talked to us in the locker room. He never wanted to be in the limelight but he knew his basketball and he was sharp as a whistle."
Former Piston and Basketball Hall of Famer Dave Bing said in a statement, "“I was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Davidson. I had the pleasure of playing for the Detroit Pistons during Mr. Davidson’s first two years of team ownership. I respected him as one of the most forward-thinking owners in professional sports.
"Bill Davidson was known as a players’ owner who took care of his players. I was happy to see Mr. Davidson inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He will be greatly missed.”
Davidson's death prompted comment from other professional sports owners in Detroit.
Mike and Marian Ilitch, owners of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers said in a statement, "We are saddened by the passing of Bill Davidson and extend our condolences to his wife and family, the Pistons and Shock organizations and all of his employees.
"We always found Bill to be a very personable, friendly and warm person. He was a tremendous businessman, owner and competitor. His commitment to our community and his passion for innovation will leave a lasting legacy."
Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand issued the following statement, "On behalf of the William Clay Ford Family and the entire Detroit Lions organization, we extend our deepest sympathies to the Davidson family and the Detroit Pistons on the passing of Mr. Davidson.
"The sports world and the Detroit community have lost one of their true icons. Mr. Davidson will be missed for not only his accomplishments as an owner but also for his many civic and charitable contributions to our region.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Davidson's family and every member of the Pistons and the Palace organizations."
Davidson became the second owner in Pistons history in 1974, when he purchased the franchise from the late Fred Zollner. Davidson also had ownership stake in Palace Sports and Entertainment, the Detroit Shock, DTE Energy Music Center, Meadow Brook Music Festival and Guardian Industries, Incorporated, one of the world’s primary manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass.
During his tenure as owner, Davidson’s professional teams won seven world championships, three in the NBA, three in the WNBA and one in the National Hockey League. Palace Sports and Entertainment owned the Tampa Bay Lightning when that franchise won the Stanley Cup in 2004.
In addition to accomplishments as a professional sports owner, Davidson was one of metro Detroit’s most notable philanthropists, responsible for more than $200 million in donations to local and international charities and universities.
Organizations and municipalities that have benefited from his generosity include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the University of Michigan, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovet, Israel, the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Children’s Research Center of Michigan, the city of Detroit’s Parks and Recreation Department, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem and countless others.
In 1997, Davidson was honored for his philanthropy by the Council of Michigan Foundations and also named one of America’s most generous donors by the New York Times.
Frequently seen sitting behind the basket near the Pistons bench on game night, Davidson was intimately involved with the team during his 35 years of ownership.
In the late 1980s, he famously built the Palace of Auburn Hills with his own money and has maintained the building and the property on which it sits since the structure was first used prior to the 1988-89 season.
Born William Morse Davidson on December 5, 1922 in Detroit, Davidson graduated from the University of Michigan and later earned a law degree from Wayne State University.
He has been honored by the Pistons with a banner that hangs in the Palace next to the club’s retired jersey numbers.
Davidson is survived by his wife, Karen, two grown children, Ethan and Marla, and three stepdaughters, including actress Elizabeth Reaser.
