Pelicans Executive VP Joe Dumars at GNO QB Club – Sept. 16, 2025
brings more than 30 years of experience over the course of his illustrious career as a Hall of Fame player, NBA champion, prominent team and league executive. Most traditionally served as executive vice president, head of basketball operations at the NBA league office. And as a player, he won NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. Was the MVP of the 1989 finals. As an executive, he led Detroit to the NBA championship in 2004. Now, he’s not a bad boy, he’s a good boy. Okay? Please give a warm welcome back to Louisiana and to New Orleans to New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president, the legend Joe Dubar. Joe, thank you guys. Thank you guys. Thanks, uh, Quarterback Club for having me here. It was pleasure to be back uh in Louisiana, back in New Orleans. Um, and uh happy to be uh leading the the Pelicans. Um you know um I was in I I was in New York. I was living there and um um Go Benson uh flew to New York and we met um and I had no um thoughts of like coming to the Pelicans or moving or anything. I was, you know, um I was enjoying my time at the leave office. But uh as I said to some people that um sometimes opportunities come along that you’re not looking for and it’s just the right place, right time, right people. Um and so for me, you know, uh it really wasn’t a hard decision. Uh once G and I talked um you know we we we we talked about uh the city, we talked about Louisiana, uh we talked about the team. Um and uh I remember later that evening talking to my wife about that. My wife is from Lake Charles, Louisiana. I’m from Nacades. Uh we we’ve been in Michigan for I don’t know 40 years now, 35 40 years now. And so, um, we thought about it and we just thought it would be awesome to come back to New Orleans and to come back to the state, uh, to be here. And so, um, I’m I’m truly happy to be here. It was a decision I I could have easily stayed, uh, where I was. It was, uh, had a great job at league office in New York, and I was really enjoying it. But this was just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I just thought, uh, if I’m going to make one more movie, it’ll be to New Orleans to do this. So, uh, when I say I’m happy to be here, I’m I’m really happy to be here because, you know, this is where I chose to be. Um, I just want to talk a little bit about the politics, uh, and just talk about philosophy and building, uh, NBA championship type teams. Um, and I’ll just say this is that, um, when you walk into, uh, and I can just speak, you know, we got a lot of football coaches here at home, but I’ll I’ll speak a little bit about basketball, and I’m sure it’s the same applies to football as well. Uh but the first thing you want to know when you walk into a building is um the first question I ask is what’s the building like? And people in sports know you’re not talking about the actual structure. You’re talking about what’s what’s the what’s the culture? What’s the environment in the building? And so for me that was the number one thing uh when I got to New Orleans was what’s the building like? Um the reason that’s important is this. It’s uh 450 players in the NBA. That’s 450 best players in the world in one league. And uh the difference between talent is exact. It’s like it’s if you got the 450 best players in the world, there’s not a big gap in the talent. And what determines success or failure is what’s your building like? What’s the culture like? what’s the environment like? Uh, and so that’s why it’s so important when you walk into a new situation to get a feel for what’s what’s the environment here, what’s the culture here. Uh, so I’ve poured last five or 6 months since I’ve been back, I poured a ton of effort into the culture and the environment, accountability. Uh, and one of the things I said to a lot of players and coaches is I asked them, I said, “You guys know what the definition of insanity is?” And they all kind of chuckle. I was like, “Yeah, we’re going to stop that.” So, we’re not going to keep doing the same things over and over again expecting, you know, um, a different result. Uh the other thing I’ll say is this is that um one of the things I tend to stress a lot with players and coaches is that um it’s hard to compete against other NBA teams if you’re not all in. So I’ve asked each and every player here, you want to be here or not? Just let let me know. Like if you’re unhappy, and this is before I got here, like if you’ve been unhappy here and and you don’t want to be here in New Orleans, let me know because we can’t win unless you’re all in. And so to a man, I’ve gone around to every single guy and say, “Look, it’s it’s there’s no there’s no stress, there’s no beef, there’s nothing. Uh if you don’t want to be here, I I’ll I’ll get on the phone and I’ll find a trade uh and and I’ll make it happen for you.” and every one of them like I want to be here. We have a chance to do something special here. So, I wanted to get buy in. I wanted to like help change the culture. Uh it’s hard to walk out on the NBA court and play another great team and win unless you think you’re supposed to win. And so that’s another thing like I when I leave here, I’m going back cuz guys are working out and stuff now. I left right in the middle of the workout cuz I wanted to come here and do this and just say to you guys is that like we are pouring everything into changing the mentality, changing the culture, changing the environment. Um, and and the last thing I guess I would say to you guys is this is just about building teams is um you you guys have a guy here who who’s been uh in the past here who’s got this incredible talent, right? And he’s been heard all kinds of issues and stuff and and I’ve said to uh Miss Vincent, I said this to her. I said, “Listen, um, it is hard as heck to build a great team and you solely depend on one guy. Like, you you you can’t do that because what that means is that guy has to be healthy for 82 games and never miss a game.” And we know that’s not going to happen. And and I said to her, I said, “Even when you saw,” and Kevin can attest to this, “Even when you saw a team like the Patriots and you look and you go, “Oh man, Tom is the goat. But usually when people talked about the Patriots, they talked about what a great organization, what a great team that they have. And so my thing here is that um I said, “Look, we’re going to be deep. I want to be 10, 11, 12 deep.” Uh and if that generational talent isn’t there for two weeks, we still win. And so you can’t build a team, especially in professional sports where you’re dependent on one guy. Even take Golden State, Steph Curry, um, as great as Steph is, their team was great. And so for me, that’s been the number one thing in terms of the team building part of it is like we’re going to be so deep until I don’t care who misses, we’re still expected to win. And so that’s the approach. Just what’s the building like? What’s the culture like? Let’s quit. Let’s quit doing the same things over and over. Let’s change the mentality. Let’s believe we’re supposed to win. And let’s be so deep as a team, as a roster, it doesn’t matter who’s in, who’s out, we expect to win. So that’s it, guys. Short message. I want to keep you guys update. Thank you so much for uh for listening, and I’m happy to be here. And I’m going to get out of here cuz I got to get back since you guys are working out right now. But thank you so much. I appreciate
The new head of basketball operations for the Pels, who also happens to be a Louisiana native and Basketball Hall of Famer, speaks at Tuesday’s meeting of the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club at The Cannery in Mid-City.
