  william morse "bill" davidson, j. d. (december 5, 1922 â march 13, 2009) was an american businessman. he was president, chairman and ceo of guardian industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass. he was also owner of several north american professional sports teams and a member of the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame. he was also the chairman of palace sports and entertainment, and principal owner of the detroit pistons of the nba, the detroit shock of the wnba, the co-owner of the detroit fury of the arena football league, and the former owner of the tampa bay lightning of the nhl and detroit vipers of the ihl. his pistons won the 1989, 1990, and 2004 nba finals; his shock won the 2003, 2006 and 2008 wnba finals; his vipers won the 1997 turner cup; tampa bay lightning won the 2004 stanley cup, making him the only owner in professional sports history whose teams have won an nba championship and a stanley cup in the same year. ==life and career== a detroit native, davidson was born to a jewish family on december 5, 1922; he was a 1940 graduate of central high school.american jewish businessman donates $75 million to jerusalem hospital - israel news, ynetnews davidson entered the university of michigan in 1940, where he was a member of the track and field team; he majored in business at what is now the ross school of business. davidson later joined the u.s. navy and played armed forces football during world war ii. following the war, davidson garnered his law degree from wayne state university law school in 1949
1922_births 2009_deaths 20th-century_American_businesspeople 21st-century_American_businesspeople American_billionaires Arena_Football_League_executives Detroit_Pistons_owners Jewish_American_philanthropists Jewish_American_sportspeople Naismith_Memorial_Basketball_Hall_of_Fame_inductees National_Basketball_Association_executives National_Basketball_Association_owners National_Hockey_League_executives National_Hockey_League_owners People_from_Bloomfield_Hills,_Michigan People_from_Detroit,_Michigan Ross_School_of_Business_alumni Stanley_Cup_champions University_of_Michigan_alumni Wayne_State_University_Law_School_alumni Women\'s_National_Basketball_Association_executives