Laimbeer Doesn’t Deny Rumors of His Retirement

Bill Laimbeer, whose flying elbows helped give the Detroit Pistons their “bad boy” image in the late 1980s, may be through with basketball.

“I won’t deny it. How about that?” Laimbeer said Tuesday night when asked about speculation that he planned to retire today. “That’s basically all I’m going to say right now.”

Laimbeer, 36, suited up for the Pistons’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Coach Don Chaney said he did not intend to use the 6-foot-11 center in the game.

Laimbeer, who has been troubled by a bad back this year, had started the previous five games and averaged 12.7 points in his last six. He is averaging 9.8 points this season.

He averaged in double figures for nine consecutive seasons from 1982-83 through 1990-91, and last season he became the ninth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

He is the Pistons’ all-time leader in rebounds and games played, and he led the NBA in rebounding in 1985-86.

The retirement would not come as a shock, because Laimbeer reportedly had considered quitting after he and teammate Isiah Thomas got in a fight at practice Nov. 16. Thomas broke his right hand when he punched Laimbeer in the back of the head.

“We love each other. That’s the bottom line, and that won’t ever change,” Thomas said the day after the fight.

Laimbeer went to Palos Verdes High, then played in college at Notre Dame. He was chosen by Cleveland in the third round of the 1979 draft, then spent the 1979-80 season playing in Italy before joining the Cavaliers for most of two seasons.

Cleveland traded him to Detroit in February 1982 as part of a deal involving four players and two draft choices.

He was selected to the All-Star team four times and helped Detroit win NBA championships in 1989 and ’90.

Chaney would not confirm Laimbeer’s retirement plans.

“There’s been rumors of him retiring all year, and he’s still here,” Chaney said. “That’s something I can’t do anything about, anyway. Even in training camp, there was speculation, but you have to go on.”