The NBA & DEI

The History of the NBA

This past February, the National Basketball team celebrated its 71st All-Star Weekend. Millions of fans, celebrities, and professional athletes worldwide came to Cleveland, Ohio, for this international event. More than seventy years ago, the National Basketball Association was born. In June 1946, Walter Brown founded the Basketball Association of America and Boston Celtics after taking a mortgage loan against his home.

During the 1930s and 1940s, he helped develop ice hockey. He coached the Boston Olympics ice hockey team to five United States national amateur championships. In 1933, the team earned its first gold model in Prague's Ice Hockey World Championships. Nine years before the launch of the NAA, the NBA launched, and today teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Sacramento Kings share their roots with this organization. In 1949, the two basketball organizations merged to create the National Basketball Association.

The NBA is no longer only known for its sports but its innovation: using technology to deliver content to fans over all forms of media and a leader in social responsibility and community development. It comprises four professional sports leagues: NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, and the NBA 2K League. It is in 215 countries and territories with 47 languages. During the 2021-22 year, 109 international players from 39 countries are playing in the NBA.

NBA Leadership

David Stern is the longest-serving commissioner of the NBA. He is internationally known for being a great leader. Stern worked for the NBA six years prior, first as a legal counsel in 1978, then as executive vice president in 1980. In 1984, he transitioned into his new role when many franchises struggled financially due to player drug abuse and poor fan/arena attendance. Michael Jordan credits Stern as instrumental in transforming the NBA into a global powerhouse. Under his leadership, the general annual revenue grew from $164 million to $5.5 billion.

In 2005, Stern implemented the first primary sports league dress code. Business casual attire replaced baggie jeans, big chains, and jerseys. Furthermore, he pioneered anti-drug and salary cap agreements and persuaded corporate sponsors to invest in the NBA.

When you are in a position of power, it is imperative to be a risk-taker but also an individual that can build rapport and develop personal connections with your employees. Throughout his tenure, he did that. In 1991, Magic Johnson announced that he was diagnosed with HIV. Stern flew from New York to Los Angeles to be by his side. Although AIDS has existed since 1960, people still consider it a relatively new disease. The research conducted during that time was not powerful enough to counter any misconceptions about contracting it. Johnson abruptly retired that same year after receiving criticism and concern from players and executives across the league. Stern attempted to debunk those misconceptions by allowing Johnson to play in the 1992 All-Star Game and Barcelona Olympics.

Stern had a strong vision for this organization and had the means to fulfill it. The impact of his work is still apparent today.

Adam Silver, his successor, a former Deputy Commissioner, has also made great strides in expanding the NBA market in his own right. Silver received excellence in leadership by being from TIME's 100 Most Influential People and Sports Executive of the Year. In addition, he is a signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, an initiative spearheaded by Tim Ryan, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner from PwC, to recruit CEOs to commit to advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Reflection Questions:

1. What are the qualities of a great leader?

2. On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your organization’s leadership team? Why?

3. What does it mean to be a great leader?

4. Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). Analysis of your organization's leadership team. What are their strengths and areas of concern?

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Leadership

In 2015, Oris Stuart became the NBA's Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Stuart has an extensive background in diversity and inclusion. Before joining the NBA, he was a Senior Partner with Korn Ferry, an executive search and talent management firm. This August, he transitioned into a newly-created chief People and Inclusion Officer role. Stuart leads the NBA’s Global Inclusion Council to grow its Supplier Diversity Program.

Over the years, Stuart has made strides in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for the NBA. As a result, DEI is no longer an option but a business imperative. He does this work by developing programs, policies, processes, and practices that assist the NBA in making cultural shifts to meet its annual goals in the workforce, workplace, and marketplace.

Reflection Questions:

l Does your organization have a specific person that focuses on DEI at your organization?

l How would you rate this individual on a scale from 1-10?

Culture & NBA

Foundationally these two organizations are the same, but there are some differences. For example, the U.S. NBA is in North America: the United States and Canada, while FIBA spans an entire continent. Furthermore, America is an individualistic country, while Europe focuses heavily on the team.

Dirk Nowitzki is from Germany and played twenty-one consecutive seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. When he came to the United States, he did not only have to adjust to the new organization but the culture of a new country. Each league has different rules for traveling, fouling, and timeouts. For example, each quarter of a FIBA game is two minutes longer than the NBA’s games. Furthermore, in Europe, the coach can only call timeouts, and the player can only have five fouls before being disqualified for the remainder of the game.

Nowitzki was only nineteen years old when he came to the United States. Life was difficult for the first two years in Dallas because he was homesick and did not have his support system. Lisa Tyner, who worked in the Mavericks accounting service department, helped Nowitzki get acclimated by obtaining a visa, setting up payroll, and finding a place to stay. She is still a significant figure in Nowitzki's life; she is now the treasurer of his foundation.

Reflective Questions:

l How does your organization create an inclusive culture?

l How would you describe the corporate culture?

Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Values

NBA’s mission, values, and philosophy statement align with its strategic goals.

The following are the NBA's mission statement and values:

Mission and Values

Our Mission: Inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.

Lead with Integrity

We do the right thing. We are honest, ethical, and fair – leading by example in sports, culture, and society.

Be the Fan

We are all fans. So we work to provide the same quality of entertainment and experiences that we want for ourselves.

Create Community

Basketball is inherently inclusive – anyone can play it. This diversity in people, backgrounds, and experience is central to our success.

Innovate with Intention

Our instinct is to innovate. But instead, we are relentlessly pushing each other's thinking, shaking up the status quo, and ensuring bold ideas result in meaningful impact.

Our Philosophy

At the NBA, we celebrate our common love of the game, building connections that enable us to leverage our differences. Basketball transcends all dimensions of diversity – those you can see and those you cannot. It is a game that anyone, anywhere, can participate in and follow. While our players, employees, and fans hail from every corner of the world, they unite through the common languages of sports and their love of basketball.

Diversity and inclusion are central to our game; we believe they are catalysts for innovation. We know our business is stronger when we leverage our differences to generate more and better ideas, sparking innovation that further connects us to our fans and communities.

The following is the Dallas Mavericks’ Inclusive Culture Statement:

“At the Dallas Mavericks, we are committed to creating a culture where our employees feel respected, are treated fairly and feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We value our employees’ opinions, and we encourage our employees to express their views. We recognize the importance of both diversity and inclusion and welcome a culture where all voices are heard. We will achieve this through ongoing training, our employee resources groups, and engaging with our local community.”

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you envision for your organization?

2. Why does your organization do this work? What does your organization value?

3. Does your organization have a mission, vision, and values statement?

4. Mission: Why does your organization exist?

5. Vision: What does your organization hope to achieve?

6. Values: What are the fundamental beliefs that are important to your organization?

DEI Metrics Monitoring

Dr. Richard Lapchick is the director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida. TIDES produces Racial and Gender Report Cards (RGRC) to assess the hiring practices and racial and gender composition of players, coaches, general managers, executives, and staff annually. Last year, in 2021, the NBA received an overall B+ grade on the RGRC. Additionally, it received an A on racial hiring and a B on gender hiring.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization use a dashboard to monitor its DEI efforts?

2. Does your organization measure its DEI efforts internally and externally?

Cultural Competency

To become culturally competent, you must have emotional intelligence, which is the ability to understand and manage emotions through self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Through this journey of self-discovery, individuals become aware of their triggers and biases with others. After individuals have a solid understanding of their EQ, they may begin learning how to build their Cultural Intelligence (CQ). Cultural competence is when one beholds the awareness, skills, and knowledge to interact with individuals from different cultures effectively. It often uses the terms race and ethnicity interchangeably.

Race is a social construct that classifies people based on common physical characteristics, including hair texture and skin color. Historically, ethnicity relates to how social groups share a common culture, religion, and language in America. It forces us to look beyond the surface and dig deep to learn more about what is not visible. Every country has its own unique culture; when an organization has employees from across the world, it must be mindful of the different cultural norms.

For example, in South Africa, individuals with White and Black ancestry, like Trevor Noah, are considered coloreds, not biracial. Words are powerful; sometimes, messages can get misconstrued because of language barriers. In addition, the concept of time, space, and gestures vary from one country to the next. To improve intercultural relations, employees should do the following:

• Ask clarifying questions and become an active listener.

• Research cultural norms before visiting a country.

• Be mindful of your verbal and nonverbal cues that may be interpreted differently from one individual to the next.

• Avoid colloquialisms, jokes, and idioms.

• Take the Harvard Implicit Bias Assessment to identify biases and prejudices.

• Create working environments that promote empathy and inclusivity.

• Practice cultural humility. Admit the things you do not know and embrace opportunities to learn more about attending cultural events.

Reflective Questions:

1. How does your organization help new employees get acclimated?

2. Have you ever taken a cultural intelligence assessment? What were your results?

3. How do you create an inclusive and welcoming environment for new employees?

Recruitment & Retention

The NBA provides training for its hiring managers in inclusive recruiting and developed partnerships with organizations, including National Sales Network, the National Black MBA Association, The Alumni Society, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and T. Howard Foundation, to seek candidates from underrepresented groups.

To recruit and retain top talent, organizations must use innovative strategies. For example, you must embed diversity, equality, and inclusion in all aspects of the organization, from hiring, firing, promotions, team creation, and how to run meetings. Diversity is the range of human differences, including gender, race, sexual orientation, education, language, abilities, socioeconomic status, and professional backgrounds. Organizations embrace these differences and promote inclusivity by creating welcoming work environments where employees feel comfortable contributing to the decision-making process and being their authentic selves.

Verna Myers, a DEI practitioner, stated that “Diversity is being asked to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.” Equity and equality are often interchangeable terms, but they share some differences. Equality has to do with sameness, while equity has to do with fairness. Every employee has different needs and starting points. To ensure that employees have the same opportunities, the employer must implement policies, practices, programs, and processes to level the playing field.

When recruiting and selecting candidates, it is imperative to have a diverse hiring committee from different races, positions, and sexual orientations. Blind interviews, blocked-out applications, and debiasing training assist in this process. Research confirms that white-sounding names get more callbacks than black-sounding names.

Companies must provide employees with opportunities to socialize and promote a work-life balance to build rapport. For example, the Golden State Warriors rent out restaurants to have group dinners with their families and other players.

The WNBA does not have the viewership of the NBA, contributing to the disparities between male and female basketball players. The Sports Business Journal states that the NBA has an average of 1.2 million viewers, while WNBA has less than half. Another reason there is a wage gap is that the NBA can generate more revenue than the WNBA. After all, it has been around fifty years longer.

In the 2019-20 season, the average salary for an NBA player was $8.32 million, and WNBA was $75,181. Some former NBA players are now broke. Basketball is a physically demanding sport; a torn meniscus or ACL increases players' likelihood of retiring early or being traded. Regardless of the reason, players must have a plan for life after basketball. To supplement income, some players acquire NBA endorsements.

LeBron James receives $53 million for endorsing Sprite, Nike, and Beats, while Stephen Curry gets $42 million from Under Armour and Chase. However, not everyone will experience the longevity of an endorsement deal as Michael Jordan does. In 1984, after signing a $500,000 agreement with NIKE, he launched the Jordan brand and was set for life.

Personal brands and professional brands are synonymous. Typically, the NBA player signs a contract with a specific company, representing its brand(s) on TV commercials, magazine ads, food labels, clothing, sneakers, and video games for a specified amount of time. To acquire a contract from a top brand, players that do not have household names must show the companies that they are stand-up guys on the court and in public. Players that had personal indiscretions typically lost endorsement deals.

Many players can get these brands' attention by becoming influencers on social media, highlighting players' personalities, and broadening brands' products and services to massive audiences, leading to more sales.

Money is only part of it; players must choose brands that are right for them, especially when they are away from their families for long periods. Players who decide to go the endorsement route must create win-win situations for themselves and the companies because it is time-consuming.

Although LeBron James has loyalty for Northeast Ohio, as an Akron native, he wants to establish enough wealth to sustain his family after basketball. Players often leave teams for more money. When James left Ohio, his revenue left too. Once players receive a certain status and capitalize on their fame, they seek cities with bigger markets, like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization partner with other brands? How does this partnership create a win-win situation for both entities?

2. How would you describe your personal brand?

3. Are there pay disparities? Which group?

4. How does your organization recruit and retain employees?

5. Does your organization partner with minority, women, or LGTBQI+ associations to recruit candidates?

6. What type of training does your organization have to reduce biases in the recruiting and interviewing processes?

7. Does your organization use innovative ways to recruit and retain diverse employees?

Promotions

Students of color need to see that the possibilities are limitless when they work hard. To help current and former players reach their second career goals, the NBA offers the NBA Career Crossover Program. The educational and professional development programs are within the following programs:

• Basketball Operations Associate Program

• League Office Internship

• Assistant Coaches Programs

• Referee Development Program

• Job Shadow Program

Children need to see which opportunities they can afford if they put forth the effort. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is the NBA G League president and has played a pivotal role in expanding this organization. He held various positions with the Sacramento Kings franchise throughout his tenure: assistant general manager, assistant coach, and general manager of the NBA G League’s Stockton Kings. In 1996, he was drafted as the third overall pick and retired from the NBA after twelve years.

Although he left college early, he was still committed to completing his degree and took courses off-season. At age thirty-five, he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley with a 3.8 GPA. He also has an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Obtaining college degrees help players transition from pros much easier. In 2012, Shaquille O’Neal received his doctoral degree in education from Barry University and is now a sports analyst for TNT. Some former basketball players coach on the collegiate level: James Posey, Mo Williams, and Patrick Ewing, to name a few. These individuals still impact the sport they love but in different capacities.

Reflection Questions:

1. Which individuals are you promoting, firing, and hiring?

2. Does your organization provide programming for employees interested in promotions?

3. What is your organization doing to rectify these issues if you are hiring, firing, or promoting the same individuals?

4. Did you feel the newly promoted employees seamlessly transitioned into their new roles?

Employee Resource Teams

The NBA has Employee Resource Teams (ERTs). An Employee Resource Team is a voluntary, employee-led group whose primary goal is to advance the strategic priorities of the NBA. The employees typically share interests and backgrounds, including gender, ethnicity, and religious affiliation. Here is a list of the NBA’s ERTs:

• APEX (Asian Professional Exchange)

• CONEXIÓN ÉNE-BÉ-A

• NBA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK

• Dream in Color

• NBA Pride

• NBA VETS (Voices of Employees That Served)

• NBA WOMEN’S NETWORK

Commissioner Adam Silver does not talk the talk but walks the walk. He is a member of the NBA Pride employee group, and his other employees have been participating in the NYC Pride March for years.

Reflection Questions:

l Does your organization have a diversity committee?

l Does your organization have employee resource groups?

Programs

Despite COVID-19, the NBA continued its recruitment efforts; in 2020, it launched the Future Sales Star Program, Mentorship Program, and Executive Highlighting Initiative. Also, in October 2020, it launched its six-month virtual Future Sales Star Program to provide early-career professionals with comprehensive sales training. The fifty participants received real-world sales training from guest speakers and trainers while learning how the NBA generates revenue.

That same year, the NBA launched its NBA Mentorship Program to connect young professionals with mentors from across the league. Senior leadership, over 175 leaders from Ticketing, Partnership, Marketing, and Business Operations executives, and all thirty NBA Team Presidents nominated the mentees.

The NBA began to publish its executive talent newsletter to highlight five external executives interested in working for the organization. The newsletter highlighted their career accomplishments and skills and contained contact information and networking opportunities for those interested in the candidates.

To help its employees grow professionally and personally, the NBA participates in programming for organizations like Women in Sports and Events and Executive Leadership Council to develop and expand their networks. The NBA only has its platform, NBA University (NBAU), to provide professional development opportunities for its employees in the following areas:

• Business skills

• Management training

• Health and wellness workshops

• E-learning

Reflective Questions:

1. What type of mentoring or coaching programs does your organization offer?

2. Are the mentoring and coaching programs successful?

3. Does your organization reward and recognize its employees?

Onboarding Process

Regardless of the organization, every employer needs a seamless onboarding process. The onboarding operations team is crucial in hiring, payroll, onboarding, and employee experience. The NBA states that the “Basketball operations department oversees the on-court activities, including the development of regular season and playoff schedules, the management of rule changes, and the enforcement of player conduct standards and discipline”. In addition, they provide onboarding support during preseason meetings and conduct strategic conversations related to international development and expansion.

In any organization, onboarding should typically last ninety days, giving the new employees enough time to become familiar with the organizational chart, roles and responsibilities, salaries, and code of conduct. The onboarding operations analysts review the Player Contract Management System and Player Resources Portal. In addition, the onboarding boarding analysts are responsible for overseeing the licensing of the company’s merchandise and establishing strong internal and external partnerships.

NBA currently uses Service Now’s employee workflows. This program assists in onboarding and health screenings and helps individuals stay safe and healthy during the pandemic. Onboarding operations analysts are also responsible for conducting offboarding, the formal process for separating employees from the NBA, whether by resignation, termination, or retirement.

Reflection Questions:

1. How long is your organization’s onboarding process?

2. What does your organization typically cover during orientation?

3. Did you feel prepared for your position?

Reasonable Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against at work. ADA encompasses disabilities that are visible and invisible:

Physical Problems

• Asthma

• Blindness & Deafness (& partial deafness)

• Diabetes Dizziness/Balance problems

• Epilepsy

• General Hearing Difficulty

• Mobility Problems

• Neurological Problems

• Paralysis Physical Weakness

• Speech Problems

• Seizures

Emotional/Mental Problems

• Age-Related Cognitive Decline Any Psychiatric Condition

• Autism

• Depression

• Dyslexia

• Bipolar Disorder

• Emotionally Overwhelmed

• Panic Attacks

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Separation Anxiety Social Phobia Stress Problems

Our laws mandate that organizations provide reasonable accommodations for their employees. A reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a position that enables the disabled individual to perform the duties successfully. Employers do not require accommodations that may cause undue hardship, significant difficulty, or expense. The employer must only provide "reasonable accommodations," like interpreters, adapted equipment, and flexible work schedules.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization provide reasonable accommodations for its employees? What are some examples?

2. Are employees able to take wellness days?

Mental Health

This country has been fighting two pandemics for the past two years: COVID and a racial reckoning. Professional athletes can be overwhelming because they are constantly in the public eye. DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love have publicly voiced their depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. However, money does not erase the past. There are some players still dealing with trauma that they experienced as children.

In 2018, the NBA saw the urgency to make mental illness a top priority and launched the NBPA Mental Health and Wellness Program under Dr. William Parham’s leadership. Phil and Donna Satow helped advise the development of the program. They are the founders of the Jed Foundation, a foundation to honor their late son, Jed, who died by suicide in 1998. The Mental Wellness Program is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and now players can seek treatment and counseling externally.

Reflection Questions:

l What type of mental health programming does your organization offer?

l Is the programming part of your Collective Bargaining Agreement?

NBA Player Development Department

The NBA Player Development department's mission "Is to help NBA players realize the potential on and off the court through comprehensive educational programming, critical support services, and one-on-one mentoring that promotes players' personal, professional and social development."

The Education and Career Transition services provide players with the tools to be successful during and after their career in the NBA:

• Rookie Transition Program

• Continuing Education and Career Counseling

• Player Job/Internship Program

• Veterans Transition Program

• Former Players Assistant Coaches Program

The Life Skills Training and Development programming assists players in enhancing their decision-making skills and character development in the following areas:

• Team Awareness Meetings

• Pre-Draft Information Program

• Media Training

• Twenty and Under Program

• Player-Tailored Personal Development Training

• Team-Based Player Programs Directors

The NBA provides counseling and assistance for both players and their families:

• Player assistance program

• Aftercare Counseling Network

• Legends Foundation

Coaches Equality Initiative

The NBA, partnered with the NBA Coaches Association (NBCA), started the Coaches Equality Initiative (CEI) to help identify and develop top coaching talent. CEI ensures that the coaching candidates have a level playing field by providing programming on head coach competency training, executive coaching, and networking opportunities at league events.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization provide continued education training for its employees?

2. Do your organization offer counseling services for employees and their families?

3. What training time does your organization provide for those interested in transitioning into new positions?

4. Does your organization offer any coaching and mentoring programs?

5. How does your organization develop its employees?

Supplier Diversity

The NBA has been promoting economic inclusion for the past sixteen years through its Supplier Diversity Program. It partners with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) to expand its reach. The goal is to create opportunities simultaneously showcasing the host city and NBA nationally.

To be a supplier with the NBA, the company must be familiar with the game and the league, be realistic about its capacity to provide prospected services on a broad scale, know how it differentiates against its competitors, and get certified with preferred agencies. Furthermore, the company must belong to the following groups:

• Ethnic Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

• Women Business Enterprise (WBE)

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Business Enterprise (LGBTBE)

• Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE)

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization offer a supplier diversity program?

2. Does your organization have annual goals for diverse vendor participation?

3. Disaggregate your organization's data. For example, how many belong to the LGTBQI+ community? How many of the companies are women? How many of the vendors are disabled or veterans?

HBCU Fellowship Program

This year, the NBA launched the HBCU Fellowship Program. This initiative provides the undergraduate and graduate students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities the opportunity to gain real-life experience in basketball operations. In addition, the fellows will receive mentors from the league’s office.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization partner with the HBCUs or other minority institutions?

2. What type of fellowships does your organization offer?

NBA Cares

To continue its fourteenth-year tradition of NBA Cares All-Star Day Service, volunteers from the NBA family will assist in packing food and books for the Greater Cleveland’s Food Bank and Kids’ Book Bank to support families in need.

Reflection Questions:

l Does your organization offer a day of service?

l Do you volunteer on behalf of your company?

l Does your organization provide incentives for those employees who volunteer?

Small Businesses

To help small businesses revive after two years of being in the pandemic, the NBA developed the NBA All-Star Rewards Program to assist diverse-owned businesses to recover from the pandemic. Fans can acquire points to win prizes to attend All-Star events.

Reflection Questions:

1. Did your organization provide support for small businesses during the pandemic?

2. Does your organization provide incentives for individuals patronizing small businesses?

Jr. NBA Programming

For the events leading to the All-Star Game, the NBA will offer virtual Jr. NBA Programming for local children and youth basketball coaches on basketball skills and mental performance strategies.

Reflection Questions:

l Does your partner with youth organizations or schools? How?

NBA Foundation & NBA Social Justice Coalition

Over the years, the public has used sports as entertainment and a platform to discuss the challenging social issues plaguing our country. After the unfortunate deaths of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, the NBA launched a partnership with the National Basketball Players Association, initiated by the NBA Foundation, to drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career development.

Over the next ten years, NBA team owners will collectively contribute $300 million annually to local and national organizations committed to advancing jobs and career advancement for Black youth through skills training, mentorship, and professional coaching.

That same year, the same organizations and the NBA Coaches Association launched the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. This initiative aims to unite players, coaches, team governors, and executives to “dismantle racial inequality and advance social justice”. They achieve the goal of protecting democracy for all in the following three ways:

• Awareness: Use the NBA platform to bring attention to critical social issues affecting society.

• Leadership: Supports learning and leadership by players, teams, and the NBA community.

• Action: Advocates for better laws and policies and the local, state, and federal levels.

During the 2020 presidential election, many NBA teams converted their areas and facilities for voting-related activities, such as early voting, poll worker training locations, ballot-drop offs, non-partisan voter registration events, and Election Day voting.

Reflection Questions:

1. Does your organization have a corporate social responsibility?

2. Is diversity represented in your marketing campaigns?

3. How does your organization give back to the community?

4. Are your board members diverse?

5. Does your organization have a foundation?

6. How does your organization get involved in voting?

7. Did your organization release a racial equity commitment statement? Is your organization still fulfilling its commitment?

Over the NBA’s seventy-plus years, we have seen it transform from a basketball association to a global powerhouse. The NBA’s commitment to this work is evident through its programming, policies, and practices. It is time to apply what you learned to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for your organization.