All Bill Laimbeer depicted as a symbol of 1980s culture Detroit Pistonsknown around the world as “Bad Boys”, he did not follow the same path in his coaching career. As a reminder, the two-time NBA champion took over the Detroit Shock at a time when the team was 0-10.
Logically, one would have expected Laimbeer to transfer his aggressive style into his coaching work, especially with such an underperforming team, in order to increase motivation and emphasize the seriousness of the situation.
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However, despite being a very aggressive player, Laimbeer has always been known for his high basketball IQ, which was demonstrated perfectly when he realized he couldn’t coach with the way he played.
“Not playing basketball anymore has helped me become more patient and understand that not everyone thinks the same thing,” said Laimbière. “I’m always demanding, but I get my message across using playing time and not getting in someone’s face. I never wanted a screamer as a coach.”
Laimbeer became one of the greatest coaches in the WNBA
It’s never easy to go 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 is difficult to adapt to a new situation where the team is far from championship ambitions.
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Yet the residents of the “Motor City” have always been known for their working-class roots, and Laimbeer is no exception, both as a player and coach. He put in the work and at the end of the season the team finished with a 9-23 record.
The following 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 around 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 finished above .500.
In 2006 he guided them to their second title, and by 2008 he had added a third, meaning his coaching resume finally surpassed his playing career, at least in terms of championships.
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Never translated to 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, behind Van Chancellor and Cheryl Reeve, while Becky Hammon is also alongside him with three titles.
Many thought he was destined to lead an NBA team, but that opportunity never came, and his former teammate, Isiah Thomas, later explained why Bill Laimbeer I never became a chief tactician in the men’s league.
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“He never left who we were in Detroit. He never gave up trying to be an individual. He stayed within the team. Now, if he had been a little more selfish, people in the NBA might look at him differently. But you can’t name a player of his stature who had the success that he had.” Thomas said via “PistonsTalk”.
Thomas, when he was 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.
Bill went furthest in the league as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves between 2009 and 2011, after which he returned to coaching in the WNBA and later managed the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Aces. He retired from coaching in 2021 and remains considered one of the best in WNBA history.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on December 13, 2025, where he first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as Favorite source by clicking here.
