Pistons’ Laimbeer Doesn’t Deny the Rumors of His Retirement
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RICHFIELD, Ohio — The elbows. The whining. The boos. The bone-rattling picks.
The NBA will miss Bill Laimbeer.
Laimbeer, his aching back keeping him on the bench, watched helplessly as his Detroit Pistons’ teammates lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 92-74, Tuesday night amid reports that he would retire today.
“I won’t deny it. How about that?” Laimbeer said. “That’s basically all I’m going to say right now.”
The Pistons scheduled a news conference for today. A spokesman would neither confirm nor deny that Laimbeer would announce his retirement or that he would even attend.
Laimbeer, 36, averaged in double figures for nine consecutive seasons from 1982-83 through 1990-91, and last season the former Palos Verdes High center became the ninth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.
He is the Pistons’ all-time leader in rebounds and games played, and he led the NBA in rebounding in 1985-86.
The retirement would not come as a shock, because Laimbeer reportedly had considered quitting after he and teammate Isiah Thomas got in a fight at practice Nov. 16. Thomas broke his right hand when he punched Laimbeer.
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