Jack McCloskey, who built the Detroit Pistons teams that won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, died Thursday in Savannah, Ga., the team announced.
He was 91.
Nicknamed "Trader Jack" for the deals he made that turned the Pistons into an NBA powerhouse, was the Pistons general manager from 1979-92.
The Pistons had a 16-62 record in 1979-80 and were 21-61 the following season before McCloskey used the second overall pick in the 1981 draft to select Isiah Thomas out of Indiana.
It marked the start of the Pistons' ascension into an elite team.