While Joe Dumars is still building a legacy around the NBA as an executive, his career as a player has been concluded for quite some time, and his impact is still apparent.
Recently, Bleacher Report ranked the top 100 players in NBA history. An entire writing staff voted on the status of each player, and Dumars ended up cracking the list at No. 96.
“Ahead of his time offensively, Dumars was a relatively early adopter of the three-point shot and attempted at least 4.0 per game six different times, leading the league at 5.9 attempts per game in 1997-98,” BR wrote.
“His career highlight was easily the 1989 Finals, when he averaged 27.3 points and 6.0 assists on 57.6 percent shooting in a four-game sweep of the Lakers, a performance that netted Dumars a Finals MVP.”
06/10/1990; Portland, Oregon USA; Pistons” Joe Dumars takes the ball to the net while being guarded by Trailblazers’ Kevin Duckworth during game three of the 1990 NBA Finals at The Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: File Photo -Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services LLC
Dumars had a vote as high as No. 38. Considering where he ended up, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Dumars had some top 100 ballots that didn’t include him.
In 1985, Dumars joined the Pistons as their 18th overall pick. He played in over 1,000 games and spent each season of his playing career in Detroit.
For 944 games, Dumars was a starter for the Pistons. He averaged 16 points while shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. He came down with two rebounds per game, and dished out five assists per matchup.
06/10/1990; Portland, Oregon USA; Pistons” Joe Dumars with the ball being guarded by Trailblazers’ Wayne Cooper during game three of the 1990 NBA Finals at The Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Archie -Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services LLC
During the fourth and fifth seasons of Dumars’ career, the Pistons won the NBA Championship. He had a major impact on both runs, averaging 18 points and five assists throughout those two playoff runs.
With an impressive resume, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Dumars ended up on this list. He’s a two-time champion, one-time NBA Finals MVP, six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA recipient, and a five-time NBA All-Defensive nominee, landing on the first team for four of those.
While the list is for players only, it’s necessary to note that Dumars has had a successful executive run in the NBA as well. He was the league’s 2003 Executive of the Year and put together a title-winning roster in 2004. After spending some time out of Detroit’s front office, Dumars is back in the business, running basketball ops for the New Orleans Pelicans.
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