Detroit’s William Davidson, owner of Pistons, the WNBA Shock and several other sports franchises over his rich life, passed away on March 13, 2009. Over his 87-year life Davidson had a profound effect on his native Detroit. Bill Davidson Pistons will be remembered as his most famous accomplishment but this man, who was ranked as the 68th wealthiest person on a recent Forbes list, had many successful ventures.

The Bill Davidson biography begins in Detroit where he grew up and graduated from Wayne State as an attorney. He had played football and track and field in college but quickly transitioned into the business world, getting involved in a number of successful bankruptcy rescues. His family’s own glass company, the Guardian Glass Co., was also facing bankruptcy in 1957 when he took over. But that became his greatest success and over the next 50 years, he turned the Guardian Co. into an international powerhouse. This would be his source of wealth to fund his sports and charitable causes throughout his years.

Davidson became the Pistons owner through serendipity. After a failed attempt to buy both a football and hockey franchise, the opportunity to buy a basketball team was right next door. His neighbor, a car parts manufacturer, had owned the Pistons for 17 years and couldn’t handle the yearly losses anymore so Davidson agreed to take them off of his hands. He paid $6 million for the team.

For years the team played in the Pontiac Silverdome, where the Lions football team also played, but in 1988 the Palace of Auburn Hills opened. A highlight of the Bill Davidson biography was his self-funding of this $90 million luxury private arena for the Pistons. it was the class of the league with box suites and amenities beyond the rest of the league. It was also the only privately funded arena of its kind. As the Pistons owner and in the rest of his life, Davidson was not afraid to spend lavishly: he bought the Pistons a private jet, Roundball One, for their travel–another first for the NBA.

Davidson, as owner of the Pistons, experienced success that few sports franchises have achieved. They won the NBA Championship in 1989, 1990 and 2004 and nearly won it on numerous other occasions. Davidson also owned the Detroit Shock, the WNBA franchise and the Tampa Bay Lightning, an NHL team. In the same year that the Bill Davidson Pistons won their last title the Tampa Bay Lightning won their first, another first for an owner of any sports teams: having two teams win championships in the same year.

With the Pistons franchise recently being valued at $430 million and his total worth estimated at $3.5 billion, Davidson was obviously a financial success. But Davidson gave as good as he got, establishing many charitable institutions and funding them with huge donations. He was also honored by being elected and admitted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame shortly before his death. During his life he was one of the great benefactors of American society and American sports.

As a company,we at Electro-Mech not only produce electronic basketball scoreboards but are also dedicated to providing you with the latest news on all team sports. Stay tuned for more basketball news!