Joe Dumars

1963—

Basketball player

Joe Dumars set out to become a football player as a child, following in the footsteps of his brothers. However, after being roughly tackled in junior high school, he decided to pursue basketball, which proved to be a very wise move. In eighth grade, Dumars was able to secure pick-up games with nearby Northwestern State University students. During his youth, Dumars's favorite basketball player was Julius Irving, whom Dumars had the good fortune of playing against in his second NBA season and Irving's last. While Dumars felt he had more ability in football, he excelled in basketball, enjoying the fact that he could play it alone.

As the youngest of seven children, Dumars recalls his parents requiring certain behaviors, such as common courtesy and respect for others, and he always considered his parents heroes. Dumars's mother was a custodian and his father a truck driver. Young Dumars walked to and from elementary school with his siblings in southern Louisiana, where he discovered his love of reading. Dumars's basketball talent blossomed along with his reading and, by the time he reached high school, he was a solid team player.

College recruiters spotted Dumars, and many large schools offered him a chance to play; however, Dumars chose nearby McNeese State University, where he majored in business management and remained close to his family. Dumars also played on the McNeese basketball team, where he started as a guard and quickly established himself as the team's best player, winning the Southland Conference Rookie of the year in 1981-82.

Recruited by the Detroit Pistons

Dumars's consistent college record for game points and team wins resulted in his being drafted as the eighteenth pick in the first round for the Detroit Pistons in 1985. He left McNeese as the eleventh-leading scorer in National Collegiate Athletic Association history. However, the Pistons did not draft Dumars to score, but as a back-up to point guard Isiah Thomas. Even though Dumars wanted to score, he graciously filled the position where he was most needed. Because the Pistons needed a defensive player, Dumars focused on that as a rookie, though he knew it would take him longer to realize his own dreams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). By the start of the 1988-89 season, the Pistons were ready for all of Dumars's abilities, and he passed, played, and scored as good as any player in the league. While playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which proved to be one of his best games in his early professional career, Dumars scored forty-two points, twenty-four of which were in the third quarter, making seventeen consecutive points.

Though touted as one of basketball's top defensive guards, Dumars soon received increased attention for his offensive abilities. By the 1988-89 season, the Pistons made it to the NBA Finals, where Dumars, sporting number 4 on his uniform, was largely responsible for the team's 1989 championship win against the Los Angeles Lakers. In Los Angeles, Dumars shifted into overdrive, winning the third game for the Pistons, where, during the third quarter of the game, he scored seventeen points in a row. Detroit swept the series in four straight games, with Dumars averaging 27.3 points per game. This was Detroit's first NBA title, for which Dumars was named the most valuable player. To win this NBA title, the Pistons needed someone to step forward on offense to take some of the pressure off of Thomas, and this someone proved to be Joe Dumars. Thereafter, the Pistons were known as "The Bad Boys," though Dumars humbly played oftentimes without the fame and glory received by some of his teammates, much to the chagrin of his fellow players. Thomas once complained that the credit was given to other guards in the league, while failing to mention Dumars, whom Thomas felt was one of the best guards in the league. Indeed, Dumars scored almost as many points per game as Thomas during the 1988-89 season.

Joe Dumars and the Pistons went on to another league title in 1989-90, this time with Thomas starring in the defeat of Portland. No longer seen just as a defensive player, Dumars showed his talent and firepower in the offense as well. As an established star, Dumars again succeeded in scoring and guarding, helping the Pistons to win this second championship, resulting in Dumars's being selected for the All-Star team, a first in his career.

Loyal to his teammates and his profession, and despite his strong family ties, Dumars decided to remain with his team in Portland, Oregon, for two games of the NBA Finals before flying home for his father's funeral, who died of congestive heart failure in June 1990. Triumphantly, the Pistons went on to win the championship against Portland while there. The night Dumars learned of his father's death, he had just finished scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter against Portland, making 12 points in a row as the Pistons rallied from a 111-106 deficit with 3 minutes remaining to a 118-115 lead with 18.6 seconds left.

Recognized as a Major Player

In 1991 he assisted Detroit in lead scoring for the first time. In 1994 he tied the record of Orlando's Brian Shaw for the most three-pointers in a regular NBA season with ten three-pointers in a November game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dumars won a gold medal as captain of the Dream Team at the 1994 World Championship. He again tied the NBA record with seven three-pointers in one-half of a game against Orlando Magic in April of 1995.

At a Glance …

Born Joseph Dumars on May 23, 1963, in Natchitoches, LA; son of Ophelia, father deceased (1990); married Debbie; children: Aren, Jordan. Education: McNeese State University, 1981-85.

Career: Detroit Pistons, guard, 1985-99, vice president of personnel, 1999-2000, president of operations, 2000—; Joe Dumars Fieldhouse, owner, 1995—; Joe Dumars Foundation, charity founder, 1993; Detroit Technologies, founder and president, 1996-2006.

Awards: Sporting News NCAA All-America Second team, member, 1985; NBA All Rookie Team, member, 1986; member, National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship Teams, 1989, 1990; named most valuable player of the 1989 NBA finals; tri-captained 1989 Dream Team II at the 1994 World Championships; five-time NBA All-Star and Pistons captain; NBA Defensive First Team, member, 1989-90, 1992, 1993; NBA All Third Team, member, 1990, 1991; member NBA All-Star Team, 1990-93; NBA All Defensive Second Team, member, 1991, 1993; Citizenship Award, 1994; NBA Sportsmanship Award, 1996; Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006.

Addresses: Office—Detroit Pistons, 2 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48326-1752.

Dumars consistently pulled through in a crunch, as stated by opposing teammate Chris Webber of the Washington Wizards for the Washington Post, "I grew up watching Joe play…. I hope one day I'll have that same type of effect on a game." After winning the 1995 NBA championship, Dumars told the Washington Post, "We just kept digging and digging. We used the trap and made them shoot long jumpers. We went helter skelter. That's not going to work for 82 games, but it worked tonight. We didn't play well, but we kept fighting. You never lay down because you can never tell what will happen." This final sentence pretty much summed up the overall belief and performance of Dumars, who was better known for his calm demeanor, especially in comparison with his flamboyant teammates.

According to the New York Times, "Wherever he goes, Dumars draws praise from the opposition…. Brad Daugherty, Cleveland's center, … said that Dumars is the heart and soul of [the] team and that there is no other player he would rather have on his side…. Dumars is more a player's player than a fan favorite or a news- media celebrity, and in many ways, that's fine with him." Dumars's teammates referred to him as Joe Cool, J.D., G.I. Joe, or, most important, Mr. Dumars. Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls shared with the New York Times that Dumars was a "peaceful, humble person who doesn't feel too much pressure. Dumars has taken control of his game and of the atmosphere of the team, but he does damage in a quiet way. He's always going to hit the big shots."

Having earned considerable respect in the profession, Dumars made it his goal to help the Pistons continue in the right direction. He was largely responsible for defending against top shooters, and he typically arrived hours ahead of time for games. As a top NBA defender, he was both swift and sure, conscientiously maintaining a positive attitude that kept him focused on the game.

In 1984 Dumars ranked sixth in the country with 26.4 average points per game, and he remains listed among the top twenty all-time college scorers. By 1995, Dumars had played in the NBA All-Star game five times and made the NBA All-Defensive Team four times, playing a total of 762 games from 1985 through 1995, during which he made nearly 85 percent of his 3,391 attempted free throws. He scored a total of 13,079 points in that ten-year span, with an average of 17.2 points per game; in the 1992-93 season alone, he averaged over 23 points per game.

Dedicated to Family and Community

With eighty-two NBA games per season, appearances, charitable activities, and family life, Dumars has mastered good time management. He is happily married to Debbie, and they have one girl, Aren, and one boy, Jordan, named after Michael Jordan. Dumars has always been a family man, and says that his brother Mark was his best friend growing up. Enormously respected by teammates, opponents, and coaches for his unassuming, yet sure demeanor, Dumars was considered like a second coach, having tutoring former rookies such as Grant Hill, Allan Houston, and Lindsey Hunter.

Besides the time he devoted to the game, Dumars shared his success with thousands of others. He started the Joe Dumars Foundation in 1993, which raises money for the Children's Hospital of Michigan. On behalf of this foundation, Dumars has hosted the Joe Dumars Celebrity Tennis Classic since 1993, which attracts tennis pros and has raised over $1,000,000 for the Children's Hospital of Michigan. He also hosts a luncheon each year for one hundred Detroit-area students who have excelled in school.

In February of 1995 Dumars opened the Joe Dumars Fieldhouse, a $2.4 million, seventy-thousand-square-foot facility in Shelby Township outside of Detroit. Youngsters play sports and attend free basketball clinics. Dumars often drops by to play pick-up games with the kids at the facility, which has basketball and volleyball courts, an in-line hockey rink, restaurant/sports bar, and weightlifting and cardiovascular equipment. One of Dumars's favorite activities is his summer basketball camp for kids at the fieldhouse. Dumars told a reporter for Boys Life in 1996, "I see myself in a lot of kids at our camp…. This kind of program would really have helped me and the other kids when I was growing up."

In 1994 Dumars won basketball's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for community service, and he recalled that, during his childhood, he learned the value and importance of giving and sharing with others. Named as one of the NBA's "classiest players" by Sport magazine, Dumars would rather be known for his work off the court, especially with Detroit's young people. It is easy to see why the title applies to him. Also, rather than taking sole credit for his athletic talents, Dumars attributed the winning of two NBA championships by the Pistons to successful teamwork and emphasized this concept to kids in his basketball camp. In 1996 Dumars became the first recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award, which is also called the Joe Dumars Trophy in his honor. The trophy acknowledges players who exemplify ethical conduct, fair play, and integrity.

Shifted from Leading On-Court to Off-Court

Following his retirement in 1999, Dumars was asked to become the vice president of player personnel for the Pistons in 1999. In 2000 he became the president of basketball operations for the franchise. He was honored with the NBA's Executive of the Year Award in 2002 for his success in improving the Piston's roster. It was under Dumars's leadership that the team acquired Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Richard Hamilton, who later became central figures in the Piston's rise to prominence during the 2003-04 season. In the 2004 NBA championships, the Pistons surprised analysts and fans by winning the series against the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers. The 2004 victory was the first for the Pistons since the 1990 championships. Dumars led the Pistons to become the Eastern Conference Champions in 2005, though the team eventually lost four games to three against the San Antonio Spurs. In 2007 the Pistons made their fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA finals, only to be eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 2006 Dumars achieved one of the highest honors in professional basketball when he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame. His enshrinement, alongside Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins, served as a final recognition of his career as a player, even though his professional career continued as a manager and executive. In interviews, Dumars expressed the hope that he would be remembered as much for his community and social activity as for his time as a player. As an executive, player, and manager, Dumars has proven himself worthy of being remembered as one of basketball's finest.

Sources

Books

Rambeck, Richard, Detroit Pistons, Creative Education, 1993.

Sachare, Alex, ed., The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., Willard Books, 1994.

Stewart, Mark, Joe Dumars, Children's Press, 1996.

Thomas, Isiah, Bad Boys: An Inside Look at the Detroit Pistons' 1988-89 Championship Season, Masters Press, 1989.

Who's Who in America, 50th ed., 1996.

Periodicals

Boys' Life, Vol. 86, November 1996, p. 9.

New York Times, February 17, 1991.

Sports Illustrated, April 24, 1995, pp. 40-43; February 10, 1997, p. 66.

Sports Illustrated for Kids, August 1995, p. 21; February 1997, p. 18.

USA Today, April 26, 2002.

Washington Post, June 12, 1990; February 8, 1995.

Online

"HoopsHype General Managers," HoopsHype.com, http://www.hoopshype.com/general_managers/joe_dumars.htm (accessed December 18, 2007).

"Joe Dumars Biography," NBA Online, http://www.nba.com/history/players/dumars_bio.html (accessed December 18, 2007).

"Piston's Joe Dumars Named Today to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame," NBA Online, http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/dumars_hof_060403.html (accessed December 18, 2007).

—Marilyn Williams and Micah L. Issit