DETROIT -- Ex-NBA star and businessman Dave Bing took the oath of office Monday as Detroit's third mayor in eight months.

"I'm full right now," the former Detroit Pistons great said after taking the oath. "I'm so blessed, I'm so pleased to have this opportunity."

Bing's mother, who lives in Washington D.C. also flew in to surprise her son at his swearing in. Bing was joined by his wife, three daughers and two grandchildren.

"It is the biggest challenge that I have ever had in my life," Bing said. "But it is one that I think I am ready for."

Voters chose the 65-year-old Bing in last Tuesday's mayoral runoff over incumbent Ken Cockrel Jr. to serve out the remaining months of Kwame Kilpatrick's second term. Bing surprised his more politically savvy opponent by taking 52.3 percent of the vote to Cockrel's 47.7 percent. Both are Democrats.

Cockrel returns to being city council president. He became mayor when Kilpatrick resigned in September before serving a jail sentence for lying in court.

Bing is expected to tackle a budget deficit estimated at $250 million to $300 million.

Along with Detroit's budget problems, the city is suffering through the national economic downturn. It is among the nation's leaders in unemployment and home foreclosures. Continued restructuring by the area's three automakers likely will mean more jobs cuts and hits to the local economy.

Bing said he would reveal more of his team members and cabinet Wednesday.

The city's public schools are among the worst in the nation and in such bad shape that the state appointed an outside financial manager earlier this year.

Bing met with Cockrel Thursday to discuss the city's finances and the transition.

"I wanted to make sure that I had access to the key people in the administration so I can ask much more detailed questions and get information that I need," said Bing.

Bing has said he'll run for a full, four-year term as mayor that would begin in 2010.

Bing was the No. 2 overall pick by the Pistons in 1966 out of Syracuse and has been inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame.

He went on to open his Bing Steel company in Detroit in 1980, and also founded The Bing Group, which employs about 500 workers.

"I want to go back and thank the Bing Group employees for their support because they won't see much of me on a going forward basis," Bing said. "I have other people I have to work for."

He said that his daughters and management team will take over the company while he is mayor.