May 14, 2008

by Erin Cormier

McNeese Department of Public Relations and Communications

Even after all his successes, Detroit Pistons superstar Joe Dumars had some unfinished business.

He retired as the Piston's all-time leading three-point shooter and second all-time leading scorer. He played in three National Basketball Association finals, winning two championship rings and the Most Valuable Player Award in the 1989 NBA Finals. He secured a position as president of basketball operations for the Pistons, had his jersey retired and the NBA named its Sportsmanship Award after him.

Left unchecked on his list: Get his college degree.

Drafted out of McNeese State University's basketball program in the first round in 1985, Dumars never finished his requirements for a bachelor's degree in business management. He went on to play 14 seasons in Detroit and, in September 2006, was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In spite of all his basketball accomplishments, Dumars says he never lost sight of the original goal he had when he enrolled at McNeese in the 80s.

"Completing my degree is something I always wanted to do for my parents, for my family and for myself," Dumars said.

On Saturday, his name will be announced along with more than 700 graduates during McNeese Spring Commencement Ceremonies at Burton Coliseum.

"We are excited that Joe has completed his degree requirements and has reached this goal," MSU President Dr. Robert Hebert said. "Unfortunately he will not be able to attend due to the fact the Pistons are in the playoffs and he has tremendous responsibilities as president of basketball operations. We spoke to him after the Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and promised him that we would have a private ceremony in a few weeks to hand him his diploma."

Dumars was able to complete his degree requirements through the convenience of e-learning. The number of courses offered by McNeese through the Internet has increased in recent years to accommodate students who want to finish their degrees, but aren't able to attend traditional classes - students like Dumars.

"The creation of online courses has given us greater flexibility to deliver a quality educational program long distance," Dr. Mitchell Adrian, dean of the college of business, said. "Joe is very busy, but once we found a way to fit the coursework into his schedule, everything went smoothly."

Dumars will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from McNeese.

"That is quite fitting for a man who has transformed the Pistons from a team that won 32 games in 2000-01 to a team that has advanced to six straight Eastern Conference Finals." Hebert said.