Welcome to Dallas Mavericks Sideline Pass! This is a new series that highlights the extraordinary stories, moments, and people we cross every day with the Dallas Mavericks. We often view the Mavs as a mission field, and the game allows us to meet people from all walks of life. Many of them come from inspiring backgrounds and overcame tremendous odds. Basketball unites us because we all cheer on the same team! Thus, the Sideline Pass series was born to highlight some of our favorite people connected to the Mavs. To leave our mark on the world, it means stepping outside the lines and finding new avenues to shine a spotlight on others. It means teaching and educating our fellow neighbors in hopes that we become better people. It means telling stories in a way that unifies us and amplifies the voices of those often hidden in the background.
Perhaps no one understands this more than Doug Rumbo. 
Doug oversees the facilities with the Mavericks, and he’s held leadership roles on the Mavs Culture Committee and other corporate initiatives. Most of all, he’s passionate about his roots. The ones chiseled, sculpted, and embedded in his DNA as a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The tribe is one of three federally recognized tribes of Choctaw Native Americans.
Doug Rumbo is the maternal grandson of Winchy Bell and George Bell. His grandparents gave birth to a daughter named Linda Rumbo, and she evolved into a remarkable woman who eventually set her roots in the North Texas area. First came three daughters (Ivette, Amie, Lori), and then in 1988, Linda’s final child arrived. It was a boy, and Linda and Michael named him Douglas. The duo passed their wisdom, tenacity, and spirit to their children. Life was great for the Rumbo family of 6.
Then tragedy struck.
One day in 1993, Linda was riding with her husband when he hit a light pole. Doug’s father Michael died instantly, while Linda flew into the backseat and survived. During periods of traumatic heartbreak and unexplainable grief, Linda leaned on the spirit of the Choctaw people that lived in her heart. She remembered the stories of her people passed down from generation to generation. Their suffering, perseverance, and resolve enveloped her with love. Linda’s faith empowered her to raise all four children alone. She never remarried and still lives today in Arlington as a living, breathing embodiment of hope for her beloved family.
Doug says his mother is the source of his inspiration.
“My mom Linda is a pretty darn strong woman who has been through a lot,” he said. “She’s taught me a lot of things a man would teach a boy because she grew up doing hard work in the fields. She would even hit me pop flies and ground balls in the backyard (laughs). I still visit her and make sure she’s ok as often as I can, and she still gets out there and does yard work. You name it, and she can do it. I wouldn’t have this job if I didn’t learn from her growing up and just trial and error.”
The memory of Doug’s father Michael still beats through his son.
“They were going to name me Michael Jr., but my dad insisted that I would be my own person and I have my own name. So, my mom named me Douglas after her elementary school principal of all things (laughs). But that’s just the type of guy my dad was. You don’t follow anyone’s footsteps make your own path.”
Still to this day, Doug goes to the site of the crash near I-20 and I-45 to leave a cross.
“I check on it from time to time,” he shared. “If they take it out I make another one.”
Doug flourished in life and made his mark in the world, but there were challenges. He later dropped out of school and lacked direction. Still, there was a fighting passion buried deep inside. Doug believed there was more for him out there, and he put in the work to completely transform his life. He started to dream again.
Most of all, Rumbo understood that his past didn’t define his future, and now he’s a living testament of how second chances can unfold in life. He desires to inspire other youth not to become prisoners of their past. Transformation can happen, and sometimes it arrives most subtly.
For Doug, it was a simple text message from his brother-in-law, Adam Wermuth.
Wermuth is a military veteran, former Mavs ManiAAC and longtime employee of the Dallas Mavericks. He’s married to Doug’s sister, Amie.
Adam had an opportunity for Doug. Would he be interested in working for the Dallas Mavericks and merchandise team?
There was that feeling again. Doug recognized it. He sensed this opportunity would change the trajectory of his life. This was more than a job. It was a moment. It was purpose unfolding before his eyes.
The Mavericks eventually hired Doug he quickly excelled with the organization. His job duties and title have since grown and evolved. It gives him great honor to stand proudly as a member of the Choctaw Nation and represent the Mavericks and NBA. He wants to be an ambassador of hope.
He’s all of that and more. Most of all, he’s a person who proudly represents the brave men and women from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians who paved the way long before him. Their tears and struggles did have purpose. Doug will never forget them and he’s on a mission to share their story.
Mavs.com sat down with him to learn more about his life and heritage…
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Mavs.com: Hi Doug! November is Native American Heritage Month and as we roll into December and the new year, I feel like this is a great time to keep the conversation going. We should honor the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans all the time. I’m excited to talk about your Choctaw Indian background. Before we dig deeper, can you explain to our fans what you do with the Mavericks?
Doug Rumbo: I am the facility administrator at the Dallas Mavericks and my job is to make sure everyone in the office has a comfortable and safe environment to work in, which means upkeeping the facility. Every single day is different. Upkeeping the facilities means making sure everything is working correctly from plumbing, electrical issues and everything else. If there are any problems to solve or something arises, I’m there to help. Each day is new, and my job is anything but typical. I am there to help solve problems and assist anyone that needs help!
Mavs.com: Did you always want to work in professional sports and what’s your unique story to how you got this job? What inspires you to work for the Mavericks?
Doug: I’ve always wanted to work in sports but wasn’t sure in what capacity. My brother-in-law actually works for the Mavericks. His name is Adam Wermuth. One day he sent me a text asking if I was interested in working for merchandise. My job was to count and tag shirts, box them up and deliver them to the AAC to be put in the stores. I did that for about four years and the facility administrator job opened. I applied and got the job!
What inspires me to work for the Mavs is I grew up a huge Mavs fan and the environment and people are awesome. It’s very family oriented and I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.
Mavs.com: We wouldn’t want you anywhere else either! So now moving on to your life, can you share more about your ancestry and the rich culture of your family?
Doug: I am a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Mississippi is the homeland for Choctaws. I am 50% Choctaw. My mother, Linda Rumbo, is of full blood. She raised me and my three sisters alone after my dad passed away in a car accident in 1993.
The Choctaws were the first tribe to walk the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma in 1831 and experienced unspeakable horrors and deaths (2500 deaths) along the way. Some decided to stay and endured unspeakable tragedy well into modern times when the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians were formed in 1945. The Choctaws have a sacred mound in Mississippi named Nanih Waiya which is about 2000 years old.
Mavs.com: You mentioned your mom Linda. Can you share more about her?
Doug: My mom grew up in Ripley, Tennessee. Her family moved from Mississippi to Tennessee when she was little. Here’s a fun fact: she failed the first grade because she didn’t learn English until she was 7 years old! You wouldn’t be able to tell now because her English is so perfect. She still speaks fluently with her siblings and cousins in Choctaw.
Fast-forward many years. A couple of her sisters decided to get away once they got older. They eventually settled in Oak Cliff back in the ‘70s. My mom was probably in her early 20s. She met a man and had my oldest sister Ivette, but that relationship was full of domestic violence. She later met my dad. He was a printer and my mom would help him put books together after he printed them. My dad later adopted Ivette and then the rest of us were born three years apart. I was born in 1988 and in 1993 my parents were involved in a car accident off I-20 and I-45.
My dad was driving, and they hit a light pole on his side. He died instantly and she went flying into the back seat. My mom then had to raise all four of us by herself and never remarried. She’s a pretty darn strong woman who has been through a lot. She’s my inspiration for this whole thing to be honest, she taught me a lot of things a man would teach a boy because she grew up doing hard work in the fields. She would even hit me pop flies and ground balls in the backyard (laughs). I still visit her and make sure she’s ok as often as I can, and she still gets out there and does yard work. You name it and she can do it. I wouldn’t have this job if I didn’t learn from her growing up and just trial and error.
Mavs.com: What an incredible woman! What is her life like today?
Doug: My parents built a house in Arlington in 1981. My mom still lives there to this day, but the area has changed a lot since then. It’s near the Parks Mall. She loves her children and grandchildren.
Mavs.com: What was your father like?
Doug: His name was Michael Rumbo. They were going to name me Michael Jr., but my dad insisted that I would be my own person and I have my own name. So, my mom named me Douglas after her elementary school principal of all things (laughs). But that’s just the type of guy my dad was. You don’t follow anyone’s footsteps make your own path. It’s a weird story, but the night it happened… I begged and cried for them not to go. I was only 5, but my mom said I was screaming: “Yall aren’t coming back!” It’s not hard for me to talk about, it used to be, but I know he’s proud. Life is one big speed bump. I tell others in similiar situations to just take your time grieving. Wherever you want to go, you will.
Mavs.com: What does Native American Heritage Month mean to you? What do you wish more people knew about Indigenous people?
Doug: Native American Heritage Month to me means awareness for Native Americans to show and help educate people on the past and the current state of Natives. I wish more people knew that we are still here and are just like everybody else. We have our traditions, but we also have adapted to the current society. Just know we are just like everyone else, in fact 70% of Native Americans live in urban areas, a lot of times we get mistaken for another race but really we’re just like everyone else. We eat the same foods, play the same sports, wear the same clothes, etc.
Mavs.com: Over the years, society has used the words “Native Americans” and “Indigenous” more, but I read that many tribal communities still find pride and relate to the word Indian. Where do you stand?
Doug: I have no problem with Indians, and neither do any of my family members. We use that word to refer to us often. It’s just something over the years that has been adopted and accepted. So yes, we are proud of the word Indian.
Mavs.com: How do you think we, as a people group, can do a better job to love, support and uplift Native Americans, Indians and Indigenous people?
Doug: I just think maybe have more of a seat at the table when it comes to politics. When I say politics, I mean having more of a say when it comes to the environment such as the cutting of trees and pipelines. If everything turns to concrete, we are doomed. I am a self-professed tree hugger; I hate to see the butchering of Mother Earth for one’s entertainment.
Mavs.com: Did you have any interesting or noteworthy traditions growing up?
Doug: I grew up in Arlington, so we didn’t have many traditions on a day-to-day basis, but my mom would cook the traditional foods. When I would visit family in Tennessee, we would play a sport called stickball with my cousins. It’s a very old sport that used to be used to settle conflicts, the game is similar to lacrosse. We’d also go fishing and have a big fish fry where everyone comes and gathers together. There’s always a fire, and a lot of the food would be cooked outside on the fire.
Mavs.com: When people think about Native Americans, it’s often about history. But there is very much a present-day story missing. We want to do better, so what’s the main message you want MFFFLs to know?
Doug: Just know we are just like everyone else, in fact 70% of Native Americans live in urban areas. A lot of times we get mistaken for another race but really we’re just like everyone else. We eat the same foods, play the same sports, wear the same clothes, etc.
Mavs.com: Your life has really grown the last couple of years. I hear you are now a married man! Tell us about your new lovely bride, Brook!
Doug: Brook and I actually met in March of 2014. Our relationship evolved and we got more serious in 2017 and moved in together in 2018. She has a son named Preston who is 18 years old and attends UTA. He’s now my stepson and he’s a very good kid, or young man, I should say. We got engaged over the summer and were involved in a pretty serious car accident in October. We decided, you know what, life’s too short. Let’s get married! So we went to the courthouse and we’ll have a reception next year. So, we did it! We got married on November 12, 2021.
Mavs.com: Which happens to be Native American Heritage Month, too! I think we’re all really inspired by your journey and story. Before we go, do you have any predictions for this basketball season?
Doug: Oh this is the year! I think we can make a good playoff run this year. I think Jason Kidd is the perfect coach for this team.
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