http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp04/columns/story?id=1901715

wow... joe dumars seems hella smart... here's some interesting snippets:

"Dumars grew up in rural Louisiana, the son of a father who worked in a local poultry factory.
While he was naturally gifted at sports, he never wanted to rely on it as a crutch to better his situation. After practice each day he'd sneak into the library to read books, a no-no for jocks in his community."

"Before his 14-year career ended, he began planning for the future – a future that initially didn't include the NBA.
"I had no intention of getting involved in the league when I retired," Dumars said.
"I just went out and starting looking for something that challenged me and would help me succeed after my playing days were done. Basketball was my job, but it wasn't necessarily my life."
Dumars started his first business, Joe Dumars' Fieldhouse, in 1994, six years before he retired.
The Fieldhouse is an indoor-recreational facility that gave kids and adults access to basketball and hockey courts for round the clock pick-up games or organized leagues.
The business has blossomed to the point that last year the Fieldhouse hosted 182 different local basketball teams in tournaments and another 50,000 pick-up games.
His new facility, set to open in just off the Eight Mile road in Detroit later this month, has the potential to even be bigger.
Two years later, Dumars founded DTI, Detroit Technology Inc. The business sells interior parts like leather seats and trunk systems to automakers like GM, Ford, Chrysler and Toyota.
If you own a P.T. Cruiser, Lincoln Navigator, a Ford Expedition or a Toyota Camary, chances are you sitting on something created by Joe Dumars. "

"With a wealth of experience on the court and six years of business experience off it, Dumars decide to buck conventional NBA wisdom and build the Pistons based on proven business principles.
"There's a sense of discipline about running an automotive business that I thought would translate," Dumars said. "

""Say what you will about us," Dumars said, "but know that we're not trying to follow the pack. We're trying to lead it.""