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One of the NBA's most respected and tenured trainers, Mike Abdenour enters his 27th year with the Detroit Pistons and his 30th year in the league this season. Abdenour’s name has been virtually synonymous with the Pistons since he first started as the team’s trainer in 1975. He worked in Detroit for 17 seasons before joining the Philadelphia 76ers in 1992. After a three-year stay in Philadelphia, Abdenour returned to the Pistons in 1995.
The 2004-05 season marked Abdenour’s 11th in Detroit since his return. Aside from his duties as the team's head athletic trainer, Abdenour also handles travel matters for the Pistons.
Abdenour has a reputation as one of the league's most active and vocal trainers. He was always considered an integral part of coach Chuck Daly's staff on the Pistons' championship teams of 1989 and 1990, leaving Detroit after the 1991-92 season to take the job in Philadelphia.
Abdenour originally joined the Pistons staff in 1975 making the jump to the professional level from Wayne State University. He has been a member of the NBA's tight training fraternity since making that move.
A long standing certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association as well as a Performance Enhancement Specialist with the National Academy Sports Medicine, Abdenour has handled a number of prestigious duties during his time in the NBA. Included on that list are serving as trainer for the 1979 and 1994 NBA All-Star games and the 1981 NBA All-Stars tour of mainland China. He served as secretary on the NBATA Executive Committee from 1987-89.
He and his brother, Tom, made history of sorts in 1987, when they became the first brother training combination in professional sports as Tom was appointed trainer for the Golden State Warriors.
During the off-season Abdenour spends time with his wife, Janice, and works with his two sons Michael and Keith on the little league field. Abdenour and his family reside in Grosse Pointe. | 