"In my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that'" - Joe Dumars admits he fanboyed over Michael Jordan during their matchups

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"In my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that'" - Joe Dumars admits he fanboyed over Michael Jordan during their matchups originally appeared on Basketball Network.
For all the bruises, elbows and brutal playoff exits, Joe Dumars still couldn't help but be in awe of Michael Jordan. And it wasn't the kind of admiration one casually held from a distance; it was the kind that bubbled up even in the middle of battle, while the cameras were rolling and the stakes couldn't be higher.
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Dumars, the silent assassin of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys era, had the unenviable task of guarding Jordan during some of the most physically intense playoff series of the late '80s and early '90s.
Jordan's aura
Through all the tough talk and tougher defense, watching the man climb the rafters on dunks and elevate on jumpers with unshakable conviction, Dumars still found himself marveling at the greatness of the Chicago Bulls superstar.
"I can tell you, many of nights, I ran back down the courts after he's done something incredible and internally, I'm saying, 'Are you 'effin kidding me?" Dumars recalled. "In my mind, I'm running stoic, nothing on my face. But in my mind I'm saying, 'There's no way that guy just did that."
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That wasn't an isolated feeling. Those were real-time reactions from a man whose job was to make Jordan's life as difficult as humanly possible. Detroit didn't just beat Chicago back then, it imposed its will. For three straight years, from 1988 to 1990, the Pistons shut the door on Jordan's championship aspirations, eliminating the Bulls in the playoffs with a style of play that became known as the Jordan Rules.
Dumars, often tasked with checking the Bulls superstar, never let the challenge harden into arrogance. The respect stayed intact. Even after beating and bruising Jordan, he was always amazed at his ability on the court.
By the time the Pistons swept the Bulls in the 1990 Eastern Conference finals, they had mastered the art of disruption. Isolate Jordan. Force the others to beat you. Foul him hard if he dared enter the lane. That was the formula. And yet, even as the plan worked, Dumars was bearing witness to moments that seemed to bend the laws of logic.
MJ was averaging over 30 points per game during those years. In that 1990 series alone, he dropped 31.2 points per contest, despite being swarmed, shoved and shadowed on every possession. Dumars was the rare defender who could match Jordan's footwork and balance, but not even he could account for the sheer brilliance that often unfolded.
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Mutual respect
It was never about backing down.
The Pistons were built on pride, pain and pushing limits. Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman all brought something different to the storm. But Dumars brought something else, a calmness amid chaos and a reverence for the game that never left, even while delivering it the hardest hits.
In the aftermath of their reign, Jordan's Bulls would eventually sweep the Pistons in 1991, a series infamous for Detroit's walk-off before the final buzzer. But Dumars wasn't among those who let bitterness cloud legacy. He was different. He competed, but also appreciated.
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The media might have painted that there was animosity between Jordan and the Pistons, and it looked that way on the court. However, some of the Bad Boys, like Dumars, still held the face of the NBA in high regard.
"I always gave him that respect," Dumars said. "I always showed him tremendous respect and he showed me respect and so it was mutual."
Over the years, Jordan himself singled out Dumars as the one of the toughest defenders he ever faced. That was a statement grounded in the many nights they went at each other in the postseason. Dumars didn't trash-talk. He didn't cheap shot. He simply made Jordan work — and that effort bred a mutual respect that outlasted the bruises.
Long after their careers wound down, Dumars, like Jordan, took his talents off the hardwood and into NBA front offices. As an executive, he helped construct a title-winning Pistons team in 2004, one that echoed many of the same defensive-first principles of his playing days.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.