Chuck Daly Dies at 78

Chuck Daly, the legendary coach of the Detroit Pistons, died on Saturday morning. Earlier in the year, it was announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 78.

Daly was perhaps best known for coaching the two-time NBA champion “Bad Boys” Pistons who won their titles in 1989 and 1990. Those Pistons are regarded as some of the best defensive teams of all-time who won with toughness, determination and clutch play.

The Dream Team of the 1992 Olympics was also coach by Chuck Daly. That team, which included such legends as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, won the gold medal for the United States with an average margin of victory of more than 43 points.

NBA commissioner David Stern had this to say about Chuck Daly:

“Chuck Daly was known best for the outstanding work he did on the sidelines — from guiding the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships to leading the Dream Team to the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. But Chuck did much more than coach basketball games. He positively impacted everyone he met, both personally and professionally, and his love of people and the game of basketball helped develop the next generation of coaches. The void left by his death will never be filled. The NBA family extends its sympathy to his wife Terry, daughter Cydney, grandchildren Sebrina and Connor, and Chuck’s entire family.”

Chuck Daly, Detroit Pistons (Image: Newscom)

R.I.P. Chuck Daly