by Donna Alexandria

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

He was the MVP of the 1989 NBA Finals. He set the record for the number of threes scored in one game: 10. He was a member of the gold medal USA Basketball World Championship team in 1984. A 6'3 quiet but deadly shooting guard from the Detroit Pistons is my favorite basketball player in the Hall of Fame. The gentle spirit of Joe Dumars embraced my heart for many years.

Joe Dumars displayed class, sportsmanship, and the ability to roll with the punches whether he was winning or losing. He was a well-rounded athlete who respected the game of basketball. Each day this man walked on the basketball court, he walked with pride. This man didn't think that his place in the NBA was owed to him just because he could shoot. He knew his place was earned through hard work.

That hard work made Joe Dumars a champion.

After he hung up his uniform, Joe Dumars moved into the front office with the same kind of tenacity he had as a player. From the ground up, he built a championship team with a group of guys that could not find their place in the NBA. They found a place with Joe. He embraced them, and showed them the way. He garnered respect from his players as a man who was all about being honest, and straight. Joe D possesses a rather quality in sports: integrity.

I can still remember the day I had the opportunity to meet him. He was doing an interview at a newspaper I was working for. Like screaming little girls at a rock concert, we hovered around him seeking an autograph. He politely granted the request. In the article, Joe D was asked about how it seems that he deliberately shuns attention. To him, it was better to show than tell. He showed no outward emotion to embarrass his opponent. He just performed his job to the best of his ability. For fourteen seasons, Joe Dumars laced up his sneakers, and shot the lights out on Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He also made all defensive team twice.

My best player in the NBA Hall of Fame is Joe Dumars because I respect his game of basketball, I respect his basketball knowledge, but most important I respect him as a decent and honest man. Joe Dumars will continue to make great strives in his career because he doesn't shoot for the home run, doesn't look for latest fade or rely on gimmicks to be successful. He trusts his instincts, and does his homework.

Joe Dumars will always be remembered as a person who played the game of basketball by his own rules.

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