Thursday, December 9, 2010

Joe Dumars - Detroit Pistons

Joe Dumars Jersey: adidas Blue Throwback Swingman #4 Detroit Pistons Jersey

In the competitive world of pro basketball, friendliness and kindness are two traits rarely exhibited on the hardwood, Unless your name was Joe Dumars. Dumars earned acclaim for his classy behavior on the court, but at the same time his peers respected his explosive scoring skills and tenacious style.

Joe Dumars was one of the hardest working defensive players in the NBA. He studied his opponents tendencies and concentrates on shutting them down with his grinding physical play. Dumars is just as effective on offense, whether he's taking the ball to the bucket or lighting it up from the perimeter. In a 1995 game, he drained a record tying 10 three pointers. Among the toughest and most dignified players in the pros, Joe Dumars has proven that nice guys can finish first.

Joe Dumars learned about leading by example long before he was knocking down clutch baskets in the NBA. As the youngest of seven children he was frequently exposed to his father's philosophy which was, "Don't sit around complaining about what you don't have and the reason things didn't work out. Just get up and get the job done." Joe Dumars built his whole career around those words.

Fast Facts : Joe Dumar's older brother David played professional football in the now defunct USFL.

When Joe Dumars arrived in Detroit in 1985, he joined a basketball team that already had a leader (future Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas). What the Detroit Pistons needed was a consistent outside scorer who could complement Isiah Thomas's basketball skills. In time, Joe Dumars would be that player. During his first two seasons in the NBA he gradually hearned more court time and worked his scoring average into double digits. He also provided a glimpse of his prolific scoring ability. In game 7 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, he drained 35 points in a losing effort.


By the 1988 season, Joe Dumars was one of the Detroit Pistons most reliable players. Always quiet in the locker room, he created quite a stir on the floor, averaging 17.2 points per game while helping Detroit to a 63-19 record and a trip to the NBA finals. In the finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Joe Dumars filled that role for the Pistons. Dumars averaged 27.3 points in Detroit's four game sweep and was named the NBA finals MVP!

Interesting Facts About Joe Dumars
  • Along with Reggie Miller and Larry Johnson, Joe Dumars was co-captain of the Dream Team II, which won the World Championship in Toronto in 1994.
  • During the 1991 season Joe Dumars set a Detroit Pistons team record for consecutive free throws made, connecting on 62 straight foul shots.
  • In 1992 Michael Jordan was the only guard with a higher scoring average than Dumars' 23.5 points per game.
  • Joe Dumars was the youngest of seven children.
  • As a senior at McNeese State, Dumars averaged 25.8 points per game.

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