Sports / Politics / Business & brands
Dave Bing
born 1943 · basketball player, businessman, politician
Hall of Fame Pistons guard of 1966–1975 who built a Detroit steel company after his playing days and served as the city's 74th mayor from 2009 to 2014.
- Born
Washington, D.C.
age 82- Birth name
- David Bing
- Detroit years
- 1966–present
- Field
- Sports, Politics, Business & brands
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Bing arrived in Detroit as the Pistons' second overall draft pick in 1966 and quickly became the franchise's first true star, making six All-Star teams and leading the league in scoring in 1968 while the team played at Cobo Arena. Turned down for a mortgage by a Detroit bank early in his career, he later built Bing Steel from scratch into the multimillion-dollar Bing Group, headquartered in the city's North End and among Michigan's largest Black-owned businesses. After decades in Detroit business and civic life, he entered the 2009 special election to succeed the disgraced Kwame Kilpatrick, won, and was inaugurated at the Fox Theatre before winning a full term. As mayor during the city's fiscal crisis he launched the Detroit Works Project to plan the city's long-term future, before an emergency manager took over most city power in 2013.
Highlights
- Pistons guard 1966–1975; No. 21 retired by the team
- Led the NBA in scoring in 1968; seven-time NBA All-Star
- Elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
- Founded Bing Steel, grown into the Detroit-based Bing Group
- Served as mayor of Detroit, 2009–2014
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1966–1975
Cobo Arena
Closed · 1960–2019
The Pistons' home arena for Bing's entire Detroit playing career; the building still stands as part of the Huntington Place convention center.
Related place · 2009
Fox Theatre
His inauguration for a full mayoral term was held in this landmark downtown theater.