Rumors

J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons has won the 2025-26 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors an NBA coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced today. This season, Bickerstaff guided the Pistons to a 60-22 record, tops in the Eastern Conference, and was consistently thoughtful and engaging with the media, and generous with his time. A finalist in 2025, this is Bickerstaff’s first time winning the award. “J.B. has been a joy to work with throughout his years as an assistant and head coach in this league,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “Our members truly appreciate his candor and his willingness to discuss any issues that arise on or off the court. Win or lose, he always handles his interviews with grace and provides the kind of thoughtful insight that helps us all understand the game better.”

Pro Basketball Writers

The Hamtramck community honored basketball legend Rudy Tomjanovich during a hall of fame celebration that included renaming the high school basketball court in his honor. Tomjanovich, a Hamtramck native and high school graduate, played college basketball at the University of Michigan before joining the NBA and playing for the Houston Rockets.

Click On Detroit

When asked how it felt to be back, Tomjanovich said, “I am really excited to be back here in Hamtramck for this wonderful event. It’s almost like a fairy tale to me.” He recalled playing on the playground courts where the building now stands and competing against great players like Spencer Haywood and Mel Daniels. “It was the number one factor in me becoming an NBA basketball player,” Tomjanovich said.

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Regarding the Detroit Pistons, who as of Friday (Feb. 20) had the best record in the National Basketball Association, Tomjanovich said, “I’m very happy for Detroit. The Pistons were always my favorite team growing up. I do have a connection to them now. In fact, the guy who is a consultant to them, Dennis Lindsay, he started in Houston. And he’s a great basketball mind. And everywhere he’s gone, those teams have improved. Same thing here in Detroit. So I’m happy for Detroit. I’m happy for Dennis.”

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Mark Berman: Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich on future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant ( @KDTrey5 ) joining the @HoustonRockets : “I’m very excited. One of the greatest players of all time coming in…I think this mix is gonna be perfect…He’ll fit in beautifully.”

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Joining Jeff Teague and Club 520 Podcast, Vernon Maxwell spoke about Drazen Petrovic, also drawing a comparison with one of the most important players in today’s NBA landscape. “Oh boy, [Drazen] Petrovic. That mother**cker was something else, man. God bless you. I used to tell Rudy Tomjanovich “Treat this mother**cker like you treat Michael Jordan”, he opened.

EuroHoops.net

Vernon Maxwell: ‘Oh boy, Petrovic. That motherf*cker was something else, man. God bless you. I used t tell Rudy Tomjanovich ‘treat this motherf*cker like you treat Michael Jordan.’ When he come out the game bring my ass out the game, when he come to the goddamn table let me meet him at the table. I don't want nobody else guard this motherf*cker… He was a killer. Q. They kind of compare him with Luka Doncic. Maxwell: I agree, Luka is a killer too.

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Rudy Tomjanovich: I really believe [Horry] belongs in the Naismith Hall of Fame. He’s proven it time and time again. He’s made so many teams champions playing a role, and that’s so important. It isn’t about just the stats. It’s about getting results. I pray that one day he’s going to be able to stand up there and accept that honor.

Rockets Wire

Jonathan Feigen: Rudy Tomjanovich, while accepting the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement award, advocates for Sam Cassell to land a head coaching job and for Robert Horry to be in the Hall of Fame. Said he wants to hear Sam cuss at his players the way he did at Sam.

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Marc J. Spears: “You don’t keep the same plays every year. You change them for the players you have,” said former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, the recipient of the 2024 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Jonathan Feigen: The NBA Coaches Association just announced that Rudy Tomjanovich is the recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. nbacoaches.com/rudy-tomjanovi… ICYMI, our story this morning about why Tomjanovich was so worthy, and how much the award means to him. houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-n…

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Asked what his team found in Minneapolis during these two road games, Denver coach Michael Malone quoted former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "What I found is Rudy T is right, man," Malone said. "'Never underestimate the heart of a champion.' They were quick to write us off, but these guys, we won a championship a year ago. We went into Miami [in the NBA Finals], won two games in a row. This team has been tested time and time again, and we found a way to solve whatever's been thrown at us. "This series is a long way from being over. We're not celebrating. It's 2-2. ... But what I found about our group is that they do believe in themselves. And more importantly, they believe in the man next to them. We have a group that is acting as you would hope a championship team would act."

ESPN

Ohm Youngmisuk: Asked Michael Malone what the Nuggets found or regained in Minnesota. He quoted Rudy T and said, "never underestimate the heart of a champion."

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Dave Mason: Adrian Griffin lasted 43 games as Bucks head coach. It's one of the shortest coaching tenures in NBA history. -Rudy Tomjanovich lasted 43 games with Lakers -Bob Weiss lasted 30 games with the Sonics -Jerry Tarkanian lasted 20 games with the Spurs

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