David A. "Dave" DeBusschere enshrined as a player in 1983

David A. "Dave" DeBusschere

Enshrined 1983
Born: October 16, 1940
Detroit, MI
Died: May 14, 2003

Dave DeBusschere was a defensive stopper who could take the air out of opponents with his physical brand of ball. The heart and soul of the New York Knick teams of the 1970s and a member of championship teams in 1970 and 1973, DeBusschere had a quietly potent offensive game that was effective from both inside and outside. Although deemed a small forward at 6-foot-6, DeBusschere was durable and rugged and could easily dominate the backboards against bigger opponents. Fellow Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins once noted that DeBusschere, "took away my first, second, third, and fourth offensive move." From 1962 to 1963, DeBusschere played professional basketball for the Detroit Pistons and at age 24 was Detroit's youngest player-coach. A talented and versatile athlete, he also pitched for baseball's Chicago White Sox.