When the trade was announced, rumors swirled as to why Piston GM Jack McCloskey made the deal. In my career, I had the most fun in Detroit. Describing Dantley to theSalt Lake Tribune, Layden said: We love him. He left after his junior year to enter the NBA Draft. In Game 1 of the series Dantley scored 34 points on 14-of-16 shooting from the field. When asked if Thomas should be the Pistons' new general manager, Dantley had a two-word reply. True, some of the best players need only to look in the mirror to understand why theres no championship bling in their vaults. With the OPEN sign light I though well came all this way just aswell give it a try and am I glad I did. Submit a Comment Cancel . The litigants settled the case just before trial, and while the details of the deal were to remain confidential, rumor around D.C. has always been that Falk's side gave Dantley's people every penny they'd asked for to avoid having the agent's business methods aired in public. gideon/sukamuljo olympics. During his one and a half decades in the League, he posted an average of 24.3 points while shooting 54.0% from the floor, which puts him in 16th place of the most efficient players in NBA history. He was All-America in high school and twice more at Notre Dame, which he left in 1976 after three seasons. It stinks of the same corruption as when Magic Johnson fired Paul Westhead for not starting him instead of Norm Nixon!! Dantley's first contract, for five years, totaled $650,000; Dantley's second contract, also for five years, totaled $2 million. Larry Bird thinks he was lucky he didnt have to deal with that in Boston. The article quotes an unnamed Dantley associate who said the former NBA star "doesn't need the money, doesn't want to sit around, and doesn't want to pay for health insurance." He is the son of Virginia Dantley. 0 Comments. He practiced obsessively, even on Christmas Day, when he would pick up the gym key from coach Wootens house. No matter what the job is, he's gonna show up on time, and give other people shit if they show up late. The Pistons finally reached the promised land playing the Eastern Conference finals with the Boston Celtics in 1987 and the NBA finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988. Years later I had the opportunity to ask Dantley what he said to Thomas that night before tip-off. Anyone wanting to get a line on Adrian Dantley the basketball star need only look at his career statistics: 23,177 points, ninth on the NBA career scoring list at time of retirement; a .540 field-goal percentage, one of the highest ever recorded by an NBA non-center; and 30-plus points per game for four straight seasons. No, we were just talking, thats it, Musburger said. Walt Bellamy got as far as the Western Division finals on two occasions earlier in his career. Dantley didnt stay in the Hoosier State long after 23 games he was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers with Dave Robisch for center James Edwards and Earl Tatum. I was a little concerned it would let look as good as I hoped, but when I put it on, I loved it. Don't get me wrong, Dantley was a great player on the Detroit Pistons, but he did have a significant drop in production compared to his final Utah Jazz season in 1986. The guard-forward was legendarily cheap during his long and fruitful NBA career, and he still lives nearby in a home he purchased in 1990 for $1.1 million, one that a former agent said "was virtually free and clear" of debt back in 1996. In Dantley's second year, the Pistons lost to the Lakers in a heartbreaking Game 7 defeat in the Finals. "The Human Highlight Film" never got as far as the conference finals with five teams. Dantley was selected to play in 6 All-Star Games and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008. ), he was born Feb. 28, 1956, in Washington, D.C. Dantley became the sixth individual with Notre Dame connections to be inducted into . To compensate for the nearly 2 inch difference in leg length, he wore custom-made inserts in his shoes.[22]. "I've got enemies out there," he told me in 2007, after he had been bizarrely denied again for the basketball hall of fame. Dantley, now 35 years old, left the NBA after the season as the ninth-leading scorer in NBA history with 23,177 points. A Detroit Pistons fan taking it upon himself to make sure that the traded Adrian Dantley gets a 1989 NBA championship ring. That truth seemed like a doubtful assertion back in the 1970s when Adrian Dantley was routinely told time and again that he was too short to keep playing in the post. [7] Dantley missed 60 games in 1983 after tearing ligaments in his right wrist. "I said it better be fine because I'm not going to spend much, sacrifice for later down the road. (Chamberlain had finished his game with 100 points.). A quarter-century later, Dantley's carrying the metaphorical lunch pail. [15], By starting the season with the 198889 Pistons, he is considered to be part of one of the top 10 teams in NBA history. Throughout his life, Dantley surprised people, especially his critics. Seattle - For the fifth straight year, NBA great Adrian Dantley's heart began to race when he got a phone call from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Dantley led Notre Dame in scoring in 197475 (30.4 points per game) and 197576 (28.6 points per game), while also leading the team in rebounding those two seasons with marks of 10.2 and 10.1 rebounds per game, respectively. It was like, damn, here we go again. Born Feb. 28, 1956. His motives were often misunderstood and his intentions misread. He was able to amass 26.6 points on average. After 12 years of banging bodies and twisting to the basket and spinning the ball methodically as he stands at the foul line, this final chase to glory has become a hornet in Dantley's stomach. If any player deserved some championship bling, then it was the human hang glider, who ranked sixth in points (27.0) and 12th in rebounds per game (12.9) in postseason history. [26], Dantley works as a referee for high school and recreational league games in the DC area. Placement: First in the Eastern Conference. At 40, "The Mailman" chased the elusive prize to Los Angeles, but the Detroit Pistons stamped him postage due in the 2004 NBA Finals. Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and a two-time NBA scoring champion.Dantley finished ninth on the all-time NBA scoring list at the time of his retirement and was inducted into the . Dantley spent seven seasons in Utah, where he became the leagues deadliest scorer. Dantley then sued Falk for $15 million in 1995, blaming his adviser for bad financial counsel during his playing days that Dantley said had cost him $1.5 million. And then Thomas defended himself for the umpteenth time. In Salt Lake City, under the leadership of the visionary head coach Frank Layden, Dantley finally fulfilled his promise and potential as a pro - regularly averaging 30+ points per season, his productivity curve shot to the very top of the NBA best scorers list in 1981 and 1984. He also left the league ranked fifth on the NBAs all-time list for free throws made (6,832) and his career scoring average (24.3 ppg) ranks among the best ever. Dantley led the NBA in scoring (30.7 ppg) in 1980-81 and again in 1983-84 at 30.6 points per game - with Aguirre right behind him at 29.5 points. Dantley was knocked unconscious while diving for a loose ball in Game 7 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. [2], Dantley later worked for the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach for eight seasons. Learn more and register here. Teams: Buffalo Braves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks. The following February, Dantley suffered the second major injury of his career a broken right fibula, which sidelined him for the year. Remember that image of "Deke" on the floor, ball clutched in his monstrous hands after the Nuggets shocked the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1994 Western Conference playoffs? In most cases, he would use his lightning-quick release to bury a jumper or his head fake and quick first step to blow around defenders, especially taller ones. By then, the 36-year was on the verge of retirement. He became a free agent after the 1989-90 season and shopped himself around. Dantley's real-world job these days, though not as glamorous as his old one, has its benefits. Friends of Dantley are amused that he's taken a position that pays him less than 1/350th of the average annual income of an NBA player. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. Dantley left Detroit steaming, too, traded to Dallas for Mark Aguirre in 1989 amid reports of altercations with head coach Chuck Daly and evil choirboy Isiah Thomas. John Stockton's 3-ball dethroned the two-time defending champion Houston Rockets in the 1997 Western Conference finals and sent the Jazz to their first NBA Finals berth. What did the hoops gods have against this guy, anyway? Sorry, Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel, but you had a taste of it. A six-time NBA All-Star (1980-82, 1984-86), he was named NBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1984, the year he led the league in scoring (30.6). "The Beard" lost three times in the Western Conference finals, twice against the eventual league champion Golden State Warriors, one of them in seven games. However, he did manage eight All-Star selections and was part of one of t . [27], Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, "NBA Legend Dantley Celebrates B-Day With Extra Candle", "Dantley named assistant for Towson basketball", "Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley Honored As ACC Legend", "Lakers Get Dantley in Aftermath of Violent Brawl", "Dantley Career High 57 Points versus Bulls", "Dantley Playoff Career High 46 Points in WCSF", "Dantley is NBA's Comeback Player of Year", "Best true shooting percentage with more than 30 PPG", "Ex-Piston Adrian Dantley calls Isiah Thomas 'con man' on 105.1-FM show", "SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Dantley Goes to Italy", "Dantley Makes Himself at Home in the Italian Game, Lifestyle", "Towson Mourns Loss of Legendary Basketball Coach Terry Truax", "Nuggets do not renew Dantley's contract", "Train with Adrian, a Basketball coach on CoachUp", "Berman: Dark horse Dantley making name for himself after earning scholarship", "Adrian Dantley Returned To The Site Of A Legendary Prep Hoops Debacle, This Time As A Kids' Rec League Ref", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adrian_Dantley&oldid=1134295941, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 23:57. Teams: Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers. Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic. ORDER YOURS NOW! Teams: Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks. Hes our piranha. For his career, he shot .540 from the floor16th in NBA historyand .818 from the free throw line. Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! Joe D was the only Detroit Pistons Bad Boy who shook Michael Jordans hands. Feel sorry for the guy who carries a lunch pail.". Dantley was selected by the Buffalo Braves sixth overall of the 1976 NBA Draft. He scored his points with a mix of flat-footed mid-range jump shots, high-percentage opportunities close to the basket, and frequent trips to the free throw line. A ring. The small forward matchup was pivotal in the 108-105 clincher James Worthy went off for an epic 36/16/10 triple . Dantley lives with his mother, aunt and cousin after his parents divorced three years ago. Carter was a unique, easy-on-the-eye player whom the NBA did not reward with a championship ring. Adrian Dantley (Buffalo Braves 1976-77, Pacers 1977, Lakers 1977-79, Jazz 1979-86, Pistons 1986-89, Mavericks 1989-90, Bucks 1990-91) Accolades: 1976-77 Rookie of the Year, 6X All-Star, 2X All-NBA, 2X scoring champ. [2][23] Dantley had played for Towson head coach Terry Truax in high school. The six-time All-Star returned to the NBA Finals the next season, but the Philadelphia Warriors got the better of George Yardley's team in five games. Adrian Dantley (A.D.) Position: Forward 6-5, 208lb (196cm, 94kg) School: Notre Dame (Men) His voice trailed off. DaVoiceMaster Senior Mod - Trail Blazers 12/27/2017 - 01/03/2018 . Sure enough, his best postseason moment came in a loss against the New York Knicks in the 1971 Eastern Division semis, when he played ex-teammate Willis Reed to a virtual draw. I highly recommend if you live within a 30 minute drive of this place and you are looking for authentic NBA NFL and MB items stop in and see them they also have a lot of very rare items which will make you stand out. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. "That's not Adrian Dantley. . [citation needed] On February 15, 1989, midway through the season he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with a 1991 first round draft pick (#19-LaBradford Smith), in exchange for Mark Aguirre, due to what Dantley maintained were conflicts with Thomas, but also reflected Dantley's clashes with head coach Chuck Daly and general manager Jack McCloskey over his demand for a focal point role on offense and more minutes than Dennis Rodman.[16]. Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets. While he didn't have the all-around game of a LeBron James (though he did average a respectable 6-7 rebounds and 3-4 assists in his prime), Dantley was an extremely efficient high . In my career I had the most fun in Detroit. Adrian Delano Dantley (A.D., Teach, The Teacher) Position: Small Forward Shoots: Right 6-5, 208lb (196cm, 94kg) . #4 Retired by Utah Jazz. Does Adrian Dantley have a ring? Curry 60.5 TS% 115 ORTG 1.521 pps (this season) NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Durant expected to make Suns debut tonight, David Benner, Pacers longtime PR director, dies, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays & strategy for March 1, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1, How the Spurs celebrated Black Heritage Night. In the first of those series, "Rabbit" put up an insane 40.6/17.9/3.7 slash line. During his time with the Pistons, the 6-time All-Star was a 2-time champion and was named Finals MVP in 1989, to go along with 5 All-Defense and 3 All-NBA . Answer (1 of 4): My guess is that Adrian Dantley was declining and Isiah Thomas. Suddenly it was a team of stars: Dantley led the league in scoring, Rickey Green in steals, Mark Eaton in blocked shots, and Darrell Griffith in three-point shooting. On February 15, 1989 the Detroit Pistons announced that they had traded Dantley, the teams top scorer the previous two seasons and the 91 first round pick for Dallas Mavericks small forward Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomass close friend from Chicago. Thomas had six more points down the stretch, en route to 26, giving him an average of 23.7 in the first three games of the series. In fact, he's the only Hall of Famer to play in the NBA after going through South Bend. But Brent Musburger, the CBS sportscaster who did the live interview with Dantley, who was home in Washington, D.C., came by and asked for a moment alone with Thomas. "Once considered the best-kept secret among a workforce of 30,000," the newspaper reported, "the position has become one of the county's most popular, particularly among those seeking health care coverage for their families." But the Pistons ultimately fell to the Lakers in seven games. But they aren't surprised that he took the job, or that he takes it seriously. Apparently even winning doesnt come without controversy when youre a Detroit Piston. Honors: NCAA All-American (2x), NBA All-Star (6x), 1977 NBA ROY, NBA Scoring Leader (2x). After the game, all he knew was that he would appear on post-game show with Tony Hernandez of Channel 2, the local CBS affiliate. Bottom Line: Adrian Dantley Adrian Dantley was not always the most popular teammate. He spoke with conviction and honesty, sometimes at the expense of diplomacy. Nobody ever said it would be easy trying to win an NBA championship, Thomas said. In the mid-1980s, the Pistons felt that they could be a player away from making a more profound mark in the postseason and that a player like Adrian Dantley could be their guy. Dave McKenna is a writer in Washington D.C. Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise. After leaving the room, Musburger said he didnt mention Dantleys comments to Thomas. Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets. Crossing guards in Montgomery County, however, are. With two small forwards on the team, however, either Dantley or Wilkes had to go, so Dantley was traded to the Utah Jazz before the 1979-80 season for power forward Spencer Haywood. Quick shipping as well. And as for his thoughts of playing for the Pistons, Adrian Dantley gave me a more gracious answer. 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