Eberhardt School of Business News

(July 1, 2009) -

By Janet Dial

From his job with the Spurs, to his love of basketball, to life at home with his wife and three boys, Dell Demps is living "the dream." Whether it's his leadership philosophy, his family, his love of the game, or the time he devotes to the Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific, one thing is consistent - this man is passionate about it all.

Bright and motivated in the classroom, and intense on the basketball court, Dell made his mark as an ideal student-athlete at Pacific. In 1992, with his undergraduate degree from the Eberhardt School in hand, Dell immediately chose to stay at Pacific to earn his MBA. Soon however, opportunity in the form of the NBA came knocking and Dell jumped at the chance to play professional basketball. Dell played three seasons in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic.In addition, he played professionally in the Philippines, France, Greece, Turkey and Croatia during his 10-year career.

Dell played professional basketball during the season but, each summer he returned to Pacific to take MBA courses. When Dell suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 1998, he returned to Stockton, traveled on the required international experience with the other students to Santiago, Chile and completed the MBA program that semester.

I caught up with Dell in his current hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where he is Director of Pro Player Personnel for the San Antonio Spurs and General Manager of the Austin Toros (owned by the Spurs) of the NBA Developmental League. After his impressive playing career, Dell joined what he refers to as "the business side of the NBA." He explained that the NBA is really a business and that his MBA background at Pacific has served him well. Dell describes his job with the Spurs as being responsible for the "immediate needs of the team," while his job with the Toros is great preparation for when he gets the opportunity to become general manager of an NBA team.

Dell credits much of his knowledge base in business, finance and law to the Eberhardt School and its outstanding curriculum and internships. His candor, humor, experience and high ethical standards guide him to submit input on tough team personnel decisions where every choice will be evaluated by peers, fans and the media.

I had just asked Dell about his leadership philosophy when Tony Parker, famed point guard for the Spurs, walked into the restaurant and came to our table to greet Dell. Parker's presence reminded Dell of a great story about Tony and his arrival at the Spurs. Tony was a 19 year-old, rookie Frenchman who was asked to lead a veteran NBA team immediately. Tony was able to succeed because he is a confident, determined but humble person who believes in himself but is willing to listen. Dell's own leadership style involves hiring the right people, listening and empowering personnel, and using a process with checks and balances while creating specific action steps to achieve attainable goals. He stresses input and values people who can take the initiative and "go get it done at the highest level." He credits his time at Pacific for building his individual leadership skills and he supplements that knowledge by borrowing insights from his reading of books like "Good to Great" and "Dare to Prepare."

Dell is one of the few "paperless" people in the NBA. This is a skill that he brought back with him from his Pacific MBA trip to Santiago, Chile. He spoke at length about the visit his MBA class made to a telecom company in Santiago that was completely paperless. In the NBA, most personnel take notes on paper at the basketball games when they scout NBA prospects, then type the notes and submit them to their respective team the next day. Dell takes all of his notes on his PDA and finishes his report by the time he leaves the arena. He is clear about the time efficiency and effectiveness of this system and how it enables him to be more productive to complete other tasks.

When asked what advice Dell would give to our current Eberhardt students, it was the same counsel he would give to his three sons -"find a career in an industry that you like and hopefully love." He says that he has a hard time calling his job "work" because he loves it so much. "On the bad days when we lose a tough game or cannot sign the player we wanted, I still would not trade professions. Basketball has enabled me to travel around the globe, meet many people, learn about different cultures and has definitely broaded my horizons."

"I have been on both sides of this game. I have gone from the joy of signing my first NBA contract and cashing that first paycheck to the disappointment of getting cut from an NBA team. I also have gone from the pleasure of signing players to their first NBA contracts and sharing the excitement with them, to witnessing the sorrow of those same players being cut days, weeks or months later."

Dell's Pacific pride runs deep, and includes his wife, Anita, a 1998 alumnus of McGeorge School of Law. She is a practicing attorney in San Antonio, and they have three sons, Jourdan, 18, a freshman at University of Texas, San Antonio, Tre, 15, a sophomore in high school, and 9 year old Riley. I remember watching Dell as a player at Pacific, cheering him on as he navigated his playing years in the NBA, and now, listening to this truly remarkable management leader in one of the most revered companies in the United States, the National Basketball Association.

Pacific's Eberhardt School of Business is proud to call Dell Demps a double alumnus with both undergraduate and MBA degrees. And we heartily welcome him as one of our most recent additions to the Eberhardt School of Business Advisory Board. 

 Strictly Business Spring 2009 Issue