Guys from the 80′s generation will remember Chuck Daly as the coach of the Detroit Pistons, leading superstars such as Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 before the era of His Airness, Michael Jordan.

Daly will also be remembered as the coach of the TRUE USA Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics. Can you argue with coaching the likes of Jordan, Larry  Bird, and Magic Johnson all in one team?

Here’s an excerpt from the CNN report about Daly’s legacy:

He was one of the good guys in the game. But his Pistons were, in fact, very bad. Isiah Thomas manipulated his mates. Bill Laimbeer whined, flopped, and was, rightfully, despised throughout the NBA. Dennis Rodman, though not yet blonde, pierced, and cross-dressing, was a dirty player. Yet Daly knew that if Detroit wanted to win a championship, he had to let the Boys by Boys. He permitted Isaiah to control the ball, because Daly realized that would keep his point guard happy and insanely productive. He knew the Pistons fed off Laimbeer’s antics, so go ahead Bill, be an a–hole. Daly saw that Rodman needed a father figure, so he mentored the troubled player, who would become one of the most prolific rebounders in hoops history. With Michael Jordan’s Bulls emerging in Chicago during this period, Daly created the Jordan Rules, which were very simple: if number 23 flies soars the lane, knock him to the floor. Jordan and the Bulls would get their titles. But not before Daly’s Pistons got theirs.

Coach Daly died Saturday, May 9, 2009 due to pancreatic cancer.

He was 78.

For more details about his legacy, check the full CNN report here.