During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dumars and Isiah Thomas combined to form one of the best backcourts in NBA history, winning two championships together.

[5] Dumars grew up in an athletic family and he actually preferred football as a child, as all five of his brothers were defensive standouts at Natchitoches Central High School.

Dumars played defensive back on the football team until junior high school when a big hit on the field directed him toward basketball.

In his rookie campaign, he took over as the Pistons starting shooting guard roughly midway through the season, replacing incumbent starter John Long.

Dumars was voted the 1989 Finals MVP, after averaging 27.3 points per game during the Pistons four-game sweep of the Lakers.

In the 1990 postseason, Dumars won accolades during the Eastern Conference Finals when, with Dennis Rodman, he was a cornerstone of coach Chuck Daly's "Jordan Rules" defensive playbook, which forced the Chicago Bulls to change their offensive strategy to include less of Michael Jordan and more of the other members of the team.

After the game, Thomas spoke about an off-balance prayer Dumars tossed up that somehow went in the basket, saying his first thought was, "Your father put that one in, Joe.

In 14 seasons, all with the Pistons, Dumars scored 16,401 points, handed out 4,612 assists, grabbed 2,203 rebounds and recorded 902 steals.

Although he was a member of the famed "Bad Boys" teams known for their aggressive play and demeanor, he became personally known for his quiet and upstanding behavior.

[10] He was voted the league's Executive of the Year for the 2002–03 season and quietly went on to build the team that won the 2004 NBA championship.

[16][17] On April 14, 2014, the Pistons announced that Dumars would step down as president of basketball operations yet remain as an advisor to the organization and its ownership team.