Jack McCloskey obit

Jack McCloskey, former Pistons general manager, dies at age 91

 

He was not on the list.

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan -- Jack McCloskey, the general manager who built the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" championship teams, died Thursday at age 91, the Pistons announced.

McCloskey had Alzheimer's disease and died in Savannah, Georgia, where he had been staying at a facility that cares for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

The Pistons won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, led by coach Chuck Daly and McCloskey draft picks Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman, all Hall of Famers. McCloskey also pulled off trades for key players during the team's "Bad Boys" era, including Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Rick Mahorn, Brad Sellers, Orlando Woolridge, Mark Aguirre and James Edwards.

Known as "Trader Jack," McCloskey helped guide Detroit to nine straight playoff appearances, five Eastern Conference Finals in a row and three NBA Finals. He was honored in 2008 with a retirement ceremony, where his name was lifted to the rafters.

McCloskey played at the University of Pennsylvania, served in World War II with the U.S. Marines, and played one game in the NBA for the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1952-53 season.

He was Penn's head coach from 1956-66, coached Wake Forest from 1966-72, and was the Portland Trail Blazers' coach from 1972-74, going 48-116. He was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers until taking the Pistons' job, and also worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors.

On March 29, 2008, McCloskey had his name honored in Auburn Hills (Home city of The Detroit Pistons at the time), with a banner raised at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

McCloskey had six children. His daughter is the writer Molly McCloskey, whose memoir Circles Around the Sun: In Search of a Lost Brother (2011) recounts the story of the McCloskey family with particular focus on Molly's brother (Jack McCloskey's son), Mike. The family was featured in an article in the September 1953 Ladies Home Journal, as part of a long running series "How America Lives", titled "Meet Mrs. $10,000* Executive in the Home".

Career history

As player:

1947–1948            Lancaster Red Roses

1948–1951            Pottsville Packers

1951–1954            Sunbury Mercuries

1953        Philadelphia Warriors

1954        Sunbury Mercuries

As coach:

1956–1966            Penn Quakers

1966–1972            Wake Forest Demon Deacons

1972–1974            Portland Trail Blazers

Career highlights and awards

As player:

2× EPBL Most Valuable Player (1953, 1954)

4× All-EPBL First Team (1950, 1952–1954)