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September 5, 2008
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Pistons Owner Bill Davidson Critical Of Some NBA Owners

Davidson Discusses Fellow NBA
Owners, Referees In Q&A 
Pistons Owner Bill Davidson, in a Q&A with the DETROIT FREE PRESS' Mitch Albom, said, "A good owner is an owner who realizes his future is tied to the future of the league. Those who are very selfish about their own franchises miss the boat." Davidson, who will be inducted into the Basketball HOF Friday, added, "The owners in the NBA are far from a homogenous group. ... A lot of them, I think, just buy teams at certain times to enhance their own name. There are some egos involved. I would say, of the 30 owners, 20-25 don't know what's going on. And, even worse, don't seem to care." Davidson continued, "I can count on the fingers of my hand those owners who have really done something for the league ... and one of them was Jerry Colangelo, who no longer is in the league but did a great job with the Olympics -- as an example." When asked what he looks for during a game, Davidson said, "I watch the referees. I watch who they are. There are certain referees -- when they come to our game -- you know you're gonna lose. And that should never be." Davidson said the Tim Donaghy scandal was the "tip of the iceberg with referees." Davidson added when he retires, "we'll keep [the team] in the family. It will always be in the family." Albom notes Davidson was "honest, direct, self-assured, charming -- rightfully proud of his franchises and his philanthropy, particularly in Israel." Also, though "there have been rumors about [Davidson's] health, he seems fine" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/5).


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