When you shook Dr. Benjamin Paolucci’s hand, you could tell he was a former athlete. Brendan Suhr, who was an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons from 1988-92, recalled his strong, but soft hands.
Paolucci, a team physician with the Pistons from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2015, died at the age of 84, the team announced Wednesday. He was an integral part of the organization during both of its championship eras — the Bad Boys Pistons that won titles in 1989 and 1990, and the Goin’ To Work team that won it all in 2004.