Dumars, Joe III
Basketball
b. May 24, 1963, Shreveport, LA
Dumars averaged 22.5 points a game in four years at McNeese State University in Louisiana and was chosen in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.
After a year as a backup, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Dumars became a starter in 1986-87 and was soon recognized as one of the finest defensive guards in the league. He was named to the NBA's all-defensive team in 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1993.
He also worked on his shooting and became a very good scorer, averaging 20.4 points a game in 1990-92, 19.9 in 1991-92, and 23.5 in 1992-93. Dumars was named most valuable player of the 1989 NBA finals, when he scored 109 points and had 24 assists in a four-game victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dumars retired in 1999, having spent his entire NBA career with the Pistons. He then joined the team's front office as vice-president of player personnel. He was named president of basketball operations in June of 2000 and in that capacity he built the squad that won the 2005 NBA championship.