The award recipient is selected annually by a committee comprised of some of the most respected coaches and basketball executives in the game, including Bernie Bickerstaff, Billy Cunningham, Joe Dumars, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, Donnie Walsh and Lenny Wilkens. The award has been given out since 2009. Tom Heinsohn was the first recipient and others to win the honor include Pat Riley, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan and Bernie Bickerstaff.
Joe Dumars Rumors
Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadivé, his son Aneel and interim executive VP Joe Dumars held in-person interviews with their three finalists in San Francisco: Minnesota’s Sachin Gupta on Sunday and McNair and former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox on Monday. Both Gupta and Wilcox had strong interviews. Interim head of basketball ops Joe Dumars joined owner in the in-person interviews and is expected to remain with the franchise as an advisor, sources said.
Carmichael Dave: More on the Kings front: Hearing in person interviews yesterday and today consist of Vivek Ranadive, Joe Dumars, and Aneel Ranadive (Vivek’s son)…... Assumption being interviews are both phone/online and now in person as follow up, so two dynamics.
The Kings haven’t reached the playoffs since 2006, the longest active streak in the NBA and one short of matching the Clippers franchise for most consecutive seasons missing the playoffs. Of course, this wasn’t just about the struggles on the court. Webber’s teammate, Vlade Divac resigned as general manager. Peja Stojakovic, another former teammate, resigned as assistant general manager. So it’s deeper than what most fans might feel about the situation. “They’re going to have to work hard,” Webber said. “It’s been frustrating to watch. I think everyone tried their best and I’m very happy that at least in the interim — Joe Dumars is a great leader and I think he’s consulting the team right now. So for me, as a Kings fan, it makes you feel a little bit better but you feel bad knowing that Vlade gave his all.”
Several sources across the league Tuesday believed there may have been a difference in mindsets among Kings officials and Dumars on the next course of action, with some wondering if the Kings weren’t setting themselves up for yet another power struggle just days after the one that led to Divac’s departure. But Kings sources insist that synergy in this process has been achieved. And despite so many questions about Dumars’ strategy here, with so many rival executives wondering if he was pushing to secure the top front office position rather than help fill it.
