15 Mar 2009

Pistons' owner dies

6:06 pm on 15 March 2009

The owner of the Detroit Pistons basketball franchise, Bill Davidson, has died at the age of 86.

Davidson owned the Pistons since 1974 and won NBA championships in 1989, 1990 and 2004.

He also won the 2004 Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the National Hockey League team he owned until 2008, and three titles with the WNBA's Detroit Shock.

The NBA Commissioner David Stern says over the last 35 years, Bill Davidson's impact on the sports world and the NBA in particular has truly been legendary.

He says from his seven championships in three different leagues...to his incredible business successes to his extraordinary community service, Bill Davidson set a standard for ownership in sports that will be difficult for anyone to match.

Davidson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

The cause of death has not been released yet.

Pistons coach Michael Curry says Davidson will not only be remembered as a great owner but also as a person who made a difference in many people's lives.