Former Pistons great Dave Bing pulled a surprising victory in the Detroit mayoral election yesterday. Bing began his NBA playing career in the now-troubled city in 1966 and ran on a platform of -- wait for it -- change.Bing's victory was capped by a very basketball-esque entrance to greet supporters as Europe's "Final Countdown" played.Bing, 65, ran as a change agent and nonpolitician. He worked to convince voters that he would bring his business sensibilities to city government.
"I don't intend to lose. We're winning," Bing said earlier in the day.
Despite some hiccups along the way -- he refused to name a 25-person transition team, battled allegations of being an outsider and lied about having a master's degree -- Bing handily convinced voters he was the best man to bring the city out of crisis.
Bing was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996, but will probably face a bigger challenge rebuilding the 11th-largest American city and arguably the poster child for the current economic downturn.
Bing to Detroit: 'You have voted for change' (Detroit Free Press)
Very Cool!