As NBA fans, it’s easy to get drawn in and consumed by the GOAT argument. These days, the conversation seems limited to Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but that’s doing a disservice to hundreds (yes, hundreds) of phenomenal players throughout the years. Dell Curry agrees, and he had some interesting names to add to the GOAT debate.
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The Greatest Of Their Era podcast, hosted by Seth Curry and Travonne Edwards, attempts to widen the net to include more players who don’t get enough love. On the most recent episode, Seth welcomed his dad, former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, to give some perspective to the conversation from his 16-year NBA career.
Dell went head-to-head on numerous occasions with Michael Jordan. He was clear that MJ was the best player he had ever played against and in a league of his own. But the guy he picked as No.2 after His Airness might come as a surprise to younger fans, but not to those who happened to have lived through that era — Detroit Pistons lifer Joe Dumars.
Long before he was a front office executive or the current GM of the New Orleans Pelicans, Joe Dumars was a handful on the court, and an integral part of multiple championship-winning Detroit Pistons teams.
“Joe Dumars was a beast,” Dell said before extolling all of his virtues as a player. “Quick, had handles, wide body. Couldn’t get around him, physical, could shoot the 3, post up, clear ’em out 1-on-1, free throw shooter, and he got down in a stance on the other end, as well.”
Joe Dumars is the perfect case for why we need to remember more players
Dumars was like the silent assassin of the Bad Boy Pistons. He wasn’t as famous as Isiah Thomas, and wasn’t as hated as Bill Laimbeer, but he did all the little things for those teams and never backed down from anyone.
There weren’t many players who could give Michael Jordan a hard time on the court, but as Dell points out, Dumars was one of them. He was so good defensively that even the most elite scorers would struggle. “Strong upper body, stronger lower body, get in a stance. Quick feet, his lateral quickness was just as good defensively as he was on the offensive end. Smart player — he studied his opponent, studied the game.”
Dell also praised Dumars for never taking a night off, no matter who he was matched up against.
Jordan didn’t really become Jordan until he got by those Pistons teams. They were a great team, and he needed to become truly great to overcome them. For three straight years, the Pistons knocked the Bulls out of the playoffs, and it wasn’t until 1991 that MJ and the Bulls were able to turn the tables. Once they did, they rolled off six titles in eight years.
Dumars really was a great player, and he and those Pistons teams deserve more love for what they were able to accomplish. Perhaps it’s because they were so hated by the rest of the league that their legacy isn’t talked about as much, but to be that hated, they had to be that good.
The G.O.T.E. podcast only began in February, and it’s already covered all kinds of players and teams that deserve to be remembered. For any NBA fan that’s tired of the same old conversation, it’s really worth checking out.
