http://0rz.tw/443Vz Pistons owner Davidson joins Vitale in Basketball Hall of Fame Chris McCosky / The Detroit News AUBURN HILLS -- Some 28 years ago, Pistons owner Bill Davidson fired coach Dick Vitale and would later say that hiring the former University of Detroit coach was one of the worst mistakes he'd ever made. On Monday, both were announced as new members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The rest of the Class of 2008 includes former Piston Adrian Dantley, along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, coach Pat Riley and women's basketball pioneer Cathy Rush. They will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass., in September. "I have nothing but the greatest respect for Mr. Davidson and the entire Pistons organization," Vitale said in an interview with The News earlier this year. "Mr. Davidson made a commitment to me and gave me a great opportunity and I have always felt that I let him down. But Mr. D sent me into television, where I've spent the best 29 years of my life. I've never lost a game since." Davidson bought the Pistons in 1974 for about $7 million and it is now worth some $477 million, according to Forbes Magazine. The franchise did not turn a profit from 1957 through the early 1980s. But since, the Pistons have won three NBA titles. "He was always a rock in those early years," said NBA commissioner David Stern. "He could be counted on for advice. He was supportive and direct. He didn't always agree, but he always supported what we were trying to do." Davidson was chairman of the NBA board of governors for many years. "As our league began moving in the direction of globalization, (Davidson) was an invaluable ray of experience and a wonderful sounding board for me," Stern said. "Because of his day job (Guardian Industries), he had daily experience in the area we were looking to move into." Stern called Davidson an innovator, especially in terms of the modern NBA arena. "He started the building boom in our league," Stern said. "The Palace was the first of its kind and it became the model for the evolution of the NBA arena. Other teams copied it or built upon it." The Pistons, because of Davidson, were the first team to fly its own airplane. "Everything the Pistons did and do is first class," Vitale said. "And that's because of Mr. D." 希望大老闆的獲選帶給活塞好運氣啦！ --

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