Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA History: 25 best sidekicks of all time

By Hans Themistode

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Kobe Bryant (L), Shaquille O'Neal (C) and Brian Shaw (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers joke on the bench during the final minutes in game four of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 27 May 2001 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers beat the Spurs 111-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Kobe Bryant (L), Shaquille O'Neal (C) and Brian Shaw (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers joke on the bench during the final minutes in game four of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 27 May 2001 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers beat the Spurs 111-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
20 of 26
Next
Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons
Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 25 best NBA sidekicks of all time: 7. Joe Dumars

He never complained about getting little to no spotlight. Considering how good Joe Dumars was, he very well could have.

Despite making four All-Star Games, numerous All-NBA and All-Defensive squads, as well as taking home Finals MVP in 1989, the Detroit Pistons were always going to belong to Isiah Thomas. It isn’t just because Thomas got there four years prior but it’s also because he was simply the better player and one of the best point guards in the league.

Thomas was the engine that kept the ship going. He doubled Dumars in All-Star selections, 8-4, and finished his career with 9.3 assists per game, good for fifth all-time. Dumars isn’t ranked particularly high on any of the all-time lists in any category. That said, he was a great defender and made the life of Thomas much easier with his ability to hit shot after shot.