Joe Dumars
Encyclopedia
Joe Dumars III nicknamed Joe D, is a retired American basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

, and currently the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

' President of Basketball Operations.
At 6'3" (190 cm) Dumars could play either shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...

 or point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...

 on offense and was a highly effective defender. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dumars and Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...

 combined to form one of the best backcourts in NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 history. Initially a shooting guard, Dumars moved over to point guard following Thomas's retirement in 1994, sharing ball-handling duties with Grant Hill
Grant Hill (basketball)
Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...

. Dumars was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...

 in 2006.

Early life

Dumars was born in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....

. Dumars' mother, Ophelia, was a custodian at Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...

 in Natchitoches while his father, Joe (Big Joe), was a truck driver.

Dumars grew up in an athletic family, but, surprisingly, basketball was not his favorite sport as a child. Football was more popular in the region and all five of his brothers were defensive standouts at Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches Central High School is a public high school in Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of the Natchitoches Parish School Board....

. His brother David later played professional football in the USFL. Dumars followed in his brothers’ footsteps playing defensive back on the football team until junior high school when a big hit on the field directed him toward basketball. Ever the supportive father, Big Joe built a hoop, made of an old bicycle wheel and half of a wooden door, in the Dumars' backyard where Little Joe spent hours practicing his jumper.

Playing career

McNeese State University
McNeese State University
McNeese State University is a public university located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the United States. Founded in 1939 as a junior college, McNeese experienced growth due to economic activity in the region. It adopted its present name in 1970....

 became the beneficiary of the bicycle hoop. During his four years in college, Dumars averaged 22.5 points per game, including 25.8 ppg as a senior - good for sixth in the nation. He finished his college career as the 11th leading scorer in NCAA history.

Drafted 18th overall in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft
1985 NBA Draft
The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. A total of 162 players were selected over 7 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick, by winning the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery, which was held...

, he played guard for the Detroit Pistons for his entire career, from 1985 to 1999. He won two championships as a player in 1989 and 1990, and was voted the 1989 Finals
1989 NBA Finals
The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers....

 MVP, averaging 27.3 points per game as the Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. The following year, he won accolades during the Eastern Conference Finals when, with Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...

, he was a cornerstone of coach Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...

's "Jordan Rules
Jordan Rules
The Jordan Rules were a defensive strategy employed by the Detroit Pistons against Michael Jordan in order to limit his effectiveness on offense. Devised by head coach Chuck Daly in 1988, the Pistons' strategy was "to play him tough, to physically challenge him and to vary its defenses so as to...

" defensive playbook, which forced the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

 to change their offensive strategy to include less of Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

 and more of the other members of the team. According to Jordan, Dumars was the best defender he faced in the NBA.

During his career, he was selected to the All-Star
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....

 team six times, and to the All-Defensive first team four times. In 14 seasons, all with the Pistons, Dumars scored 16,401 points, handed out 4,612 assists, grabbed 2,203 rebounds and recorded 902 steals.

Although he was a member of the famed "Bad Boys" teams known for their aggressive play and demeanor, he became personally known for his quiet and upstanding behavior. He was the first recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award
NBA Sportsmanship Award
The National Basketball Association's Sportsmanship Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1995–96 NBA season, to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity"...

 which has been named the "Joe Dumars Trophy".

His #4 jersey was retired by the Pistons in March 2000. He has the distinction as being the only Pistons player to ever wear this number.

He played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...

, winning the gold medal.

NBA executive career

Dumars became the Pistons' President of Basketball Operations prior to the 2000–01 season. He was voted the league's Executive of the Year
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general managers. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year is presented annually by Sporting News, although it is officially recognized by the NBA. Since then,...

 for the 2002-03 season and quietly went on to build the team that won the 2004 NBA Championship
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...

 and became the 2005 NBA Eastern Conference Champions—doing so largely with players who had been discarded by other franchises. The Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals six straight years (2003–2008) under Dumars' watch. This streak would come to an end in the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...

. The Pistons would get swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

.

Notable trades

  • Grant Hill
    Grant Hill (basketball)
    Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...

    , traded for Chucky Atkins
    Chucky Atkins
    Kenneth Lavon "Chucky" Atkins is an American professional basketball player. He is currently a free agent.-Basketball career:...

     and Ben Wallace
    Ben Wallace
    Ben Camey Wallace is an American basketball center for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. A native of Alabama, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University and signed with the Washington Bullets as an undrafted free agent in 1996...

     in 2000.
  • Jerome Williams
    Jerome Williams
    Jerome Williams is a former professional basketball player in the NBA, who last played for the New York Knicks. He was a star player on the Magruder High School basketball team...

    , traded for Corliss Williamson in 2001.
  • Mateen Cleaves
    Mateen Cleaves
    Mateen Ahmad Cleaves is an American former professional basketball player who played in six NBA seasons. He is currently a music talent manager....

    , traded for Jon Barry
    Jon Barry
    Jon Alan Barry is an American former basketball player and current television analyst for ABC and ESPN.-Biography:Barry is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, and has three brothers: Scooter, Drew, and Brent, all of whom are also basketball players. Jon played his high school basketball at De La...

     in 2001.
  • Jud Buechler
    Jud Buechler
    Judson Donald "Jud" Buechler is a retired American professional basketball player. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Poway High School, where he was a top basketball recruit as well as a Top-50 men's volleyball prospect....

    , traded for Clifford Robinson
    Clifford R. Robinson
    Clifford "Cliff" Ralph Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association.-Highlights:...

     in 2001.
  • Jerry Stackhouse
    Jerry Stackhouse
    Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....

    , traded for Richard Hamilton
    Richard Hamilton (basketball)
    Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....

     in 2002.
  • Michael Curry
    Michael Curry
    Michael Edward Curry is the associate head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He previously served as head coach of the Detroit Pistons...

    , traded for Lindsey Hunter
    Lindsey Hunter
    Lindsey Benson Hunter, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player. He was a point guard in the National Basketball Association from 1993 to 2010, spending most of his career with Detroit Pistons...

     in 2003.
  • Zeljko Rebraca
    Željko Rebraca
    Željko Rebrača is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. Formerly in the NBA, he finished his career with the Spanish ACB League team Pamesa Valencia.-Europe:He began his professional career in 1991 with KK Partizan...

    , Bob Sura
    Bob Sura
    Robert Sura Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. At 6'5" , 200 lb , he played as a guard....

    , Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter and two first round picks, traded for Rasheed Wallace
    Rasheed Wallace
    Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...

     and Mike James
    Mike James
    Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...

     in 2004; Hunter would return to the team a week later.
  • Elden Campbell
    Elden Campbell
    Elden Jerome Campbell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center in the National Basketball Association .-Playing Career:...

     and a first round draft pick, traded for Carlos Arroyo
    Carlos Arroyo
    Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez is a Puerto Rican professional basketball point guard who last played for the Boston Celtics. Arroyo is the fifth player from Puerto Rico to play in the NBA...

     in 2005; Campbell would return to the team later that season.
  • Nazr Mohammed
    Nazr Mohammed
    Nazr Tahiru Mohammed [NAW-zee] is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in and 250 lb...

     for Primož Brezec
    Primož Brezec
    Primož Brezec is a Slovenian professional basketball player with Lokomotiv Kuban of the Russian Super League. He is a 7 ft 1 in tall center. Brezec has played seven seasons in the NBA.-Europe:...

     and Wálter Herrmann
    Wálter Herrmann
    Walter Herrmann Heinrich is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the Argentinian national basketball team that won the gold medal during the 2004 Olympic Basketball Tournament...

     in 2007.
  • Chauncey Billups
    Chauncey Billups
    Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...

    , Antonio McDyess
    Antonio McDyess
    Antonio Keithflen McDyess is an American professional basketball player. McDyess is listed at 6'9" , 245 lb. and is a power forward/center. In 2009 he signed a 3-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs....

     and Cheikh Samb traded for Allen Iverson
    Allen Iverson
    Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...

     on November 3, 2008; McDyess would return to the team one month later.

Notable draft picks

  • Mehmet Okur
    Mehmet Okur
    Mehmet Murat Okur is a Turkish professional basketball player who currently plays for Türk Telekom B.K.. He is also under contract with the Utah Jazz of the NBA, and can return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout ends...

     in the second round with the 38th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft
    2001 NBA Draft
    The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...

    .
  • Tayshaun Prince
    Tayshaun Prince
    Tayshaun Durell Prince is an American basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association. Prince is a small forward, listed at and . A graduate of Dominguez High School and the University of Kentucky, Prince was drafted in the first round by the...

     in the first round with the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft
    2002 NBA Draft
    The 2002 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2002 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from non-North...

    .
  • Darko Milicic
    Darko Milicic
    Darko Miličić is a Serbian professional basketball center for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft after LeBron James, and ahead of players such as Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh,...

     in the first round with the 2nd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft
    2003 NBA Draft
    The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...

    .
  • Carlos Delfino
    Carlos Delfino
    Carlos Francisco Delfino is an Argentine professional basketball player. He also has Italian citizenship. Delfino plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions. He stands tall and weighs . He is also noted for his defensive skills...

     in the first round with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft
    2003 NBA Draft
    The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...

    .
  • Jason Maxiell
    Jason Maxiell
    Jason Dior Maxiell is a professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Detroit Pistons.-Playing career:...

     in the first round with the 26th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft
    2005 NBA Draft
    The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...

    .
  • Rodney Stuckey
    Rodney Stuckey
    Rodney Norvell Stuckey is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.-High school career:...

     in the first round with the 15th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft
    2007 NBA Draft
    The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...

    .
  • Arron Afflalo
    Arron Afflalo
    Arron Agustin Afflalo is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific-10 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as the starting shooting...

     in the first round with the 27th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
  • Jonas Jerebko
    Jonas Jerebko
    Jonas Jerebko is a Swedish professional basketball player. He is 6 ft 10 in tall in shoes and he weighs 232 pounds...

     in the second round with the 39th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft
    2009 NBA Draft
    The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...

    .
  • Greg Monroe
    Greg Monroe
    Gregory Keith Monroe, Jr. is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.-Early years:Monroe attended Helen Cox High...

     in the first round with the 7th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft
    2010 NBA Draft
    The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...

    .
  • Brandon Knight
    Brandon Knight
    Brandon Michael Knight is an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, Knight plays for the NEXEN Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization....

     in the first round with the 8th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
    2011 NBA Draft
    The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...

    .

Notable signings

  • Chauncey Billups
    Chauncey Billups
    Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...

  • Antonio McDyess
    Antonio McDyess
    Antonio Keithflen McDyess is an American professional basketball player. McDyess is listed at 6'9" , 245 lb. and is a power forward/center. In 2009 he signed a 3-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs....

  • Chris Webber
    Chris Webber
    Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...

  • Ben Gordon
  • Will Bynum
    Will Bynum
    William "Will" Bynum is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA. He plays the point guard position.-Early life and college career:...

  • Rick Carlisle
    Rick Carlisle
    Richard Preston Carlisle is the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He has also coached the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, and was previously a player in the NBA. He is also one of the only 11 people to win an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach.-Playing career:Carlisle...

     (coach)
  • Larry Brown
    Larry Brown (basketball)
    Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....

     (coach)
  • Flip Saunders
    Flip Saunders
    Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....

     (coach)

Business interests

Dumars was majority owner as well as CEO and President of Detroit Technologies for approximately 10 years. Founded by Dumars in 1996, DTI is an automotive supply company. He sold off his interest in the company in 2006 to pursue other business interests and focus on his role as Pistons' President of Basketball Operations. Dumars oversaw a joint venture deal in 2006 Between Detroit Technologies and TSI.

The Joe Dumars Fieldhouse, an indoor sports and entertainment facility, has two locations in the Metro-Detroit area: in Shelby Township at M-59 and Mound Road and in Detroit at the State Fairgrounds. In an interview with DBusiness magazine (link below), Dumars stated he was in talks to expand the fieldhouses to other states.

Currently, Dumars is on the board of Directors of the First Michigan Bank—a commercial bank located in Troy, Michigan, which is in the metropolitan Detroit area. With around $14 million in the vault, First Michigan Bank will service a cadre of small-business owners in metro Detroit who "have been neglected by the large, out-of-town financial institutions," according to a private placement memo the bank prepared for U.S. and state financial regulators.

See also


External links

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