Sunday, May 26th, 2013
Each week over the summer, The Juice Online will be counting down the top 15 players in Syracuse basketball history. Dave Bing is No. 1 on our list.
Bing as mayor of Detroit
WHY HE’S NO. 1: Bing was the greatest player in Syracuse history because he could do everything well. Of course, he was an outstanding scorer. In just three seasons of varsity basketball, Bing scored 1,883 points (24.8 points per game), which was the school’s top mark until Sherman Douglas came around decades later. He was also an outstanding rebounder, pulling down 10.3 a game over his career, which was even more impressive considering he was only 6-foot-3. Assists weren’t recorded until the 1965-66 season, but in that one year, he averaged 6.6 per game. During his senior year, Bing was fifth in the nation in scoring (28.4 ppg) and was a consensus All-American.
» No. 2 on our all time ranking is Derrick Coleman
» Agree with the ranking? Leave your thoughts below.
AFTER SYRACUSE: Bing was selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. He would play 12 years in the NBA, mostly with the Pistons, and averaged 20.3 points and six assists per game. In 1990, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players. After his basketball career, Bing became a highly successful businessman and is currently the mayor of Detroit.
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Tags: Basketball, Dave Bing, Syracuse, Top 15 Syracuse Basketball Players
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I was a classmate (SU ’66) and teammate of Dave’s and although I’m obviously biased, he was the best I ever saw. And as great a basketball player as he was, the best part is that Dave is, and always has been an even better person than he was an athlete! It’s a long time ago, but we still remember the soaring beauty of his game! Thanks for the memories!
I agree with Bing #1 I was there to watch from his freshman season on up. Number two must be Carmelo Anthony. He was the backbone of the championship team of 2003GMAC must be in the top five. No one was ever more clutch than GMAC. No one ever needed to be as clutch as GMAC.
I disagree. I am a lot older and also a Syracuse native, and I woild rate Billy Gabor at ! or at least 2. Gabor then went on to play For the Syracuse Nationals, and watching “The Bullet” play was amazing. It was a different game back then and a lot of the older players get short shrift because of that