In Detroit’s front office, there is no more “life on Dumars.” The Pistons announced minutes ago that Joe Dumars will step aside as President of Basketball Operations, effective immediately. The team has already begun their search to fill the position, but no timetable has been set for when that replacement will be found.
Said Pistons owner Tom Gores in a prepared statement: “We are turning the page with great respect for what he has accomplished not only as a player and a front office executive, but as a person who has represented this team and the NBA with extraordinary dignity.”
Director of Basketball Operations Ken Catanella and Assistant General Manager George David will take over in the interim; mostly focusing on duties related to the upcoming NBA Draft and free agency signing period.
Joe Dumars, a legend on the court in the Motor City, who wasn’t able to quite duplicate that level of success off of it, will continue his relationship with the franchise as an advisor to the front office and the ownership group.
The corporate produced, and utterly sanitized statement of Joe Dumars regarding his dismissal reads as follows:
“It’s time to turn the page on a wonderful chapter and begin writing a new one. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great people throughout the last 29 years as both a player and executive, and I’m proud of our accomplishments. Tom Gores and ownership is committed to winning and they will continue to move the franchise forward.”
Taken 18th overall in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft, Joe Dumars has spent 29 years with the franchise, 14 as a player (1985-1999) 15 as a member of the front office (1999-2014). Throughout that time, the franchise won three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), five Eastern Conference titles (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005), nine Central Division titles and reached the Eastern Conference Finals 11 times.
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