Offensive Game
Reliable offensive contributor who could score in the mid-range and from the corners. Averaged 16.1 PPG for his career — underrated as a scorer given his defensive reputation.
Career Journey
David Albert DeBusschere was an American professional basketball player and coach, and professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 and in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons from 1962 through 1968 and for the New York Knicks from 1968 to 1974. He was also the head coach for the Pistons from 1964 through 1967.
Offensive Game
Reliable offensive contributor who could score in the mid-range and from the corners. Averaged 16.1 PPG for his career — underrated as a scorer given his defensive reputation.
Defensive Game
One of the greatest defenders in NBA history. Six consecutive All-Defensive First Team selections. His assignment: the opponent's best forward, every night. He rarely lost.
Intangibles
The consummate team player — the Knicks' defensive identity crystallized when DeBusschere arrived. His understanding of help defense and rotations defined the championship era.
All articles
Dave DeBusschere was a two-sport professional, a player-coach at 24, and the defensive cornerstone of two Knicks championships. His #22 honors the man who made the whole thing possible.
New York Knicks
New York Knicks
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Detroit Pistons
1962-1969
New York Knicks
1969-1974
Personal Life & Family
Partner
Geri DeBusschere
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Detroit youth sports programs
New York basketball community initiatives
Did You Know?
DeBusschere is one of only a handful of players in history to compete professionally in both the NBA and MLB simultaneously — he pitched for the Chicago White Sox while also playing for the Detroit Pistons.
At age 24, he became the youngest player-coach in NBA history when the Pistons appointed him to lead the team.
The December 1968 trade that sent DeBusschere to New York is routinely cited as one of the most transformative trades in NBA history — it completed the championship Knicks roster.
He later served as the New York Knicks' General Manager and as Commissioner of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Career Honors
2x NBA Champion (1970, 1973)
8x NBA All-Star
6x NBA All-Defensive First Team
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1983)
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Official Jerseys
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