Everything Bill Laimbeer represented as a symbol of the culture of the 1980s Detroit Pistons, who were known worldwide as the “Bad Boys”, he did not carry over in the same way into his coaching career. As a reminder, the two-time NBA champion took over the Detroit Shock at a moment when the team had a 0-10 record.
Logically, it would have been expected that Laimbeer would transfer his aggressive style into his coaching job, especially with a team performing that poorly, in order to raise motivation and underline the seriousness of the situation.
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However, despite being a very aggressive player, Laimbeer was always known for his high basketball IQ, which was best demonstrated when he realized he couldn’t coach the way he played.
“Being out of basketball helped me become more patient and understand that not everyone thinks the same,” said Laimbeer. “I’m still demanding, but I get my point across by using playing time and not by getting in someone’s face. I never wanted a screamer as a coach.”
Laimbeer became one of the greatest WNBA coaches
It’s never easy to transition from a uniform to a coaching suit. Then, when you played for one of the greatest dynasties in basketball history, where winning was a daily standard, it’s hard to adapt to a new situation where the team is far from championship ambitions.
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Still, people from the “Motor City” have always been known for their working-class roots, and Laimbeer was no exception, both as a player and as a coach. He got to work, and by the end of the season, the team finished with a 9-23 record.
The very next year, in 2003, Laimbeer brought a new title to Detroit, and it was the first WNBA championship for a team not based in Los Angeles or Houston. Laimbeer brought a calm approach to the team and easily turned things in the Shock’s favor, for which he was rewarded with the Coach of the Year award after, for the first time in four seasons, they ended above .500.
In 2006, he guided them to their second title, and by 2008, he had added a third, meaning his coaching resume ultimately outpaced his playing career, at least in terms of championships.
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Never translated in the NBA
At 68 years old and with three championships to his name, he now ranks as the third-most successful coach in WNBA history, trailing only Van Chancellor and Cheryl Reeve, while Becky Hammon also sits alongside him with three titles.
Many believed he was destined for a shot at leading an NBA team, but that opportunity never came, and his former teammate, Isiah Thomas, later explained why Bill Laimbeer never became a head tactician in the men’s league.
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“He never left what we was all about in Detroit. He never stepped out of trying to be, he never tried to be an individual. He stayed within the team. Now, if he would have been a little bit more selfish, then people in the NBA maybe would look at him differently. But you can’t name a player of his stature that has had the success that he’s had,” Thomas said via “PistonsTalk”.
Thomas, when he was the president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks, considered his former teammate as an option, and Joe Dumars also considered Laimbeer as an option after firing Larry Brown, but the job ultimately went to Flip Saunders.
The furthest Bill went in the league was a stint as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves between 2009 and 2011, after which he returned to coaching in the WNBA and later led the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Aces. He retired from coaching in 2021 and remains remembered as one of the best ever in WNBA history.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
