Joe Dumars facts for kids
Dumars in 2005
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | May 24, 1963 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| High school | Natchitoches Central (Natchitoches, Louisiana) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | McNeese State (1981–1985) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1985–1999 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1985–1999 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
As player:
As executive:
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| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 16,401 (16.1 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,203 (2.2 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 4,612 (4.5 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Joe Dumars III (born May 24, 1963) is an American basketball legend. He was a great player and is now an important leader in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Joe could play as a shooting guard or a point guard. He was also known for being an amazing defender.
He played his whole 14-year career with the Detroit Pistons. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas were a super team. They helped the Pistons win two NBA championships together. Joe Dumars was honored in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. After retiring as a player, he became a basketball executive. He even won another championship as a team leader in 2004.
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Early Life and Family
Joe Dumars was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mom, Ophelia, worked at Northwestern State University. His dad, Joe Dumars Jr., was a truck driver.
Joe grew up in a family that loved sports. At first, he liked football more than basketball! All five of his brothers were strong defensive players in football. His brother David even played professional football later on. Joe played football until junior high. After a big hit on the field, he decided to focus on basketball. His dad built a hoop in their backyard, where Joe practiced his shots.
College Basketball Career
Joe Dumars played basketball for four years at McNeese State University. He was a fantastic scorer. On average, he scored 22.5 points per game. In his final year, he scored 25.8 points per game, which was the sixth-best in the whole country! He finished his college career as one of the top scorers in NCAA history.
Playing for the Detroit Pistons (1985–1999)
Joe Dumars was picked 18th in the 1985 NBA draft. He played guard for the Detroit Pistons for his entire career, from 1985 to 1999. In his first year, he became the team's starting shooting guard. He was even named to the NBA All-Rookie first team.
Winning NBA Championships
Joe Dumars helped the Pistons win two NBA championships as a player. They won in 1989 and 1990. In the 1988–89 season, he scored over 17 points per game. He also passed for a career-high 5.7 assists per game. The Pistons won a team record 63 games that year.
They made it to the NBA Finals and played against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons swept the Lakers, winning all four games! Joe Dumars was named the 1989 Finals MVP. He averaged 27.3 points per game in that series.
In the 1990 playoffs, Joe was key to the "Jordan Rules" defense. This plan helped stop Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan himself said that Joe Dumars was the toughest defender he ever played against.
In the 1990 NBA Finals, the Pistons played the Portland Trail Blazers. Joe averaged 20.6 points. In a very important Game 3, he scored 33 points. This game happened on the same day his father passed away. Joe had asked his wife not to tell him about his father's condition until after the game. His teammate Isiah Thomas told the rest of the team. After the game, Thomas said that one of Joe's shots that went in was like his father helped it go in.
Career Highlights and Awards
During his career, Joe was chosen for the All-Star team six times. He was also named to the All-Defensive first team four times. He led the Pistons in scoring for four seasons in a row (1990–91 to 1993–94).
In the 1992–93 season, Joe scored a career-high 23.5 points per game. He played 40.2 minutes per game that season, also a career high. In his 14 seasons with the Pistons, Joe scored 16,401 points. He also had 4,612 assists and 2,203 rebounds.
Even though he was part of the "Bad Boys" Pistons team, known for their tough play, Joe was known for being quiet and respectful. He received the first NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1995–96. In 2000, this award was renamed the Joe Dumars Trophy in his honor.
The Pistons retired his number 4 jersey in March 2000. He is the only Pistons player to ever wear that number since the team moved to Detroit. Joe also played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship. His team won the gold medal.
Executive Career in the NBA
Leading the Detroit Pistons (2000–2014)
Joe Dumars became the president of basketball operations for the Pistons in 2000. He was named the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2002–03. He built the team that won the 2004 NBA championship. With this win, Joe became the first African-American executive to lead a team to an NBA championship.
Under Joe's leadership, the Pistons had their best regular season record ever in 2005–06 (64 wins and 18 losses). The Pistons reached the Eastern Conference Finals six years in a row (2003–2008) while he was in charge.
In April 2014, Joe Dumars stepped down as president of basketball operations. He stayed on as an advisor to the team. During his 14 years as president, the Pistons won 595 regular-season games. They also made it to the Eastern Conference Finals six times and won two Eastern Conference Championships.
Working for the Sacramento Kings (2019–2022)
In June 2019, Joe Dumars became a special advisor for the Sacramento Kings. He later became the interim executive vice president of basketball operations. In September 2020, he was named chief strategy officer for the Kings.
NBA League Office (2022–Present)
Since May 2022, Joe Dumars has been the executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the entire NBA. This means he helps make big decisions for the whole league!
Business Ventures
Joe Dumars was the main owner and CEO of Detroit Technologies for about 10 years. This company, started by Joe in 1996, supplied parts for cars. He sold his share in 2006 to focus on other businesses and his role with the Pistons.
Joe also started and owned the Joe Dumars Fieldhouse. These were indoor sports and entertainment places in Michigan. The locations closed in 2020 and 2022. In 2017, Joe joined a sports management company called Independent Sports & Entertainment. He became the president of their basketball division.
Images for kids
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Dumars in 2005
