Chuck Daly

He was a champion if ever there was one. Chuck Daly, the Hall of Fame coach who died of pancreatic cancer on May 9 at age 78, was my mentor on and off the court. He was also one of the greatest coaches I’ve ever played for. He was a respected voice in our locker room and the driving force behind our two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons. And, let’s not forget, the man was a great dresser–a fact that led directly to his nickname: Daddy Rich.

In 1996, Chuck was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches in NBA history. He won 638 regular-season games during 13 years in the league and another 75 in his 12 playoff appearances. When the time came to pick a coach for the greatest team ever assembled, our nation turned to Coach Daly. He didn’t disappoint, leading the Dream Team to Olympic gold in 1992.

I was drafted by the Pistons in 1981, but we didn’t become the Bad Boys until Coach Daly came on board in 1983. He taught us how to win and gave us the courage to stand tall in the face of adversity. It was never enough to settle for being good; we aspired to be great.

Moving to Florida recently to take a new job gave me an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Chuck during his final days–and he was a remarkable man until the very end. You would never have known how sick he was by talking to him; he always had the demeanor of a warrior. That’s what I loved about him.

Throughout his career, Chuck was gracious with his time and cared deeply for his players. He coached us in the game of life, not just the game of basketball. He made us believe we could do the impossible, and we did.