As NBA Executive Vice President of Communications, Michael Bass oversees all public relations for the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League, including basketball and business communications, on a global basis. He supervises the league’s communications functions, including basketball media operations, media relations, business public relations, corporate communications and digital media communications.

During his 19-year tenure with the NBA, Bass has served as a principal spokesman on the league’s diverse and varied business initiatives and has led a group charged with promoting those functions. He has led communications strategy for the NBA’s most important business issues, including the league’s last Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, the last three television agreements and its vast digital and global initiatives.

Bass joined the NBA in September 1997 and spent time as Director of NBA Entertainment Communications, where he helped develop a department solely dedicated to public relations for the league’s production and new media division.

Prior to joining the NBA, Bass worked as Senior Press Representative for the CBS television network. He was in charge of publicizing the network’s mini-series, movies, specials, and event programming. Before that, he was a Senior Account Executive at New York-based public relations/management firm Dan Klores Communications.

In 2007, Bass was named to the New York City Board of the National Sports Marketing Network (NSMN) and serves on the Board of A Better Chance of Westport.

A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Bass resides in Westport, Conn., with his wife Pam and two children.

7/2017

As President, Social Responsibility & Player Programs for the National Basketball Association, Kathy Behrens oversees all NBA programs that coordinate league and player social responsibility efforts, promote youth basketball development, support player growth and education, and enhance the marketing opportunities for current and former players.

Behrens joined the NBA in September 2000 as Vice President, Community Relations, overseeing all of the NBA’s public service initiatives, community outreach and employee volunteer programs. She later worked as Senior Vice President of Community & Player Programs, and Executive Vice President of Social Responsibility & Player Programs.

Prior to joining the NBA, Behrens served as Executive Director of New York Cares, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteers to help New York City’s neediest residents. Before joining New York Cares in 1995, Behrens served in the administration of former New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo, and was the Executive Director of the Friends of Cuomo Campaign Committee during the 1994 governor’s race.

Behrens serves on the Board of Directors for New York Cares and the Ad Council. She is also a trustee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Behrens graduated from the University of Hartford and serves as a member of the university’s Board of Regents. She currently lives with her husband and twins Matthew and Maureen in Westchester County, N.Y.

3/2017

As Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer for the NBA, Krishna Bhagavathula is responsible for leading the league’s Information Technology department. He leads efforts to further strengthen the NBA’s technology strategy and vision, delivering best-in-class applications, systems and infrastructure to support the league and its 30 teams.

Prior to joining the NBA in September 2017, Bhagavathula served as Chief Technology Officer for NBC News Digital, where he led their technology team with a focus on developing web and mobile platforms and products for NBCNews.com, MSNBC and shows including TODAY, Nightly News and Meet The Press. Before joining NBC News in 2013, he spent eight years with WebMD Health, most significantly as Vice President of Engineering, where he led development teams responsible for WebMD’s internet properties, mobile applications, content management and search/discovery platforms.

Bhagavathula has also held management consulting positions with BearingPoint, IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers after starting his career as a software developer at Convergys. He has extensive experience driving technology strategy as well as leading and implementing business and technology solutions across a wide range of organizations, from startups to multi-billion dollar corporations.

Bhagavathula received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He lives in Short Hills, N.J., with his wife and two daughters.

10/2017

As Executive Vice President, Digital Media for the National Basketball Association, Melissa Rosenthal Brenner leads the development, oversight and implementation of the NBA’s global digital strategy and social media portfolio across multiple media platforms. In that role, she has forged groundbreaking deals with leading social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, found innovative ways to incorporate social media throughout the league’s wide array of assets, and helped NBA partners maximize social media opportunities with the league.

Additionally, Brenner manages the league’s relationship with Turner Sports relating to NBA Digital, where she is responsible for the development and oversight of NBA TV, NBA League Pass, NBA.com and various NBA mobile content offerings. In recent years, Brenner oversaw the rollout of a variety of new digital offerings including single game availability of NBA League Pass, phone- and tablet-optimized streams through NBA Mobile View, fully produced weekly games in virtual reality, and the league’s first real-time fantasy game, NBA InPlay.

Under her leadership, the NBA has built one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.4 billion likes and followers combined across all league, team and player pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Sina and Tencent. Brenner has been instrumental in the NBA’s achievement of many milestones in the social media space, including the first professional sports league to partner with YouTube (2005) and Facebook (2007).

In 2016, Brenner was recognized as “Top Digital Executive” at the Cynopsis Social Media Awards, while the work of her group was honored as “Best in Sports Social Media” by SportsBusiness Journal. In 2013, Brenner was named to AdAge’s “Women to Watch” list.

A member of the NBA family since 1997, Brenner has worked in the Consumer Products Marketing, Advertising and Marketing departments. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Brenner lives on the Upper West Side with her husband Joe and their two children, Sadie and Jack.

1/2018

As President, Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) and Chief Innovation Officer at the NBA, Amy Brooks drives innovative decision-making and growth across the league’s business through the development and execution of new ideas and initiatives, and collaborates with the NBA’s senior leadership on setting the league’s global strategic priorities.

Brooks is also responsible for growing NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League team profitability through strategic consulting on all aspects of business operations, including ticket and sponsorship sales, marketing, digital, customer retention, arena operations, staffing, analytics and expense control.

Under her leadership, TMBO develops best practice sales and marketing strategies and industry-leading analytics on behalf of 85 teams in four leagues. Brooks also advises teams via in-market visits and more than 20 annual workshops and training sessions, and oversees the league’s marketing relationships with strategic team partners, such as Ticketmaster.

Since joining TMBO in 2007, Brooks has helped drive results across all leagues, including numerous records for attendance, ticket revenue and sponsorship revenue. In 2016-17, the NBA set a third consecutive all-time attendance record. Prior to joining TMBO, she served as the NBA’s senior director of marketing partnerships, where she led a team responsible for developing innovative marketing platforms and managing relationships with many of the league’s global sponsors.

Prior to joining the NBA in 2005, Brooks worked for Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. Previously, she was a product manager at Sun Microsystems, and began her career at software start-up Diba (later acquired by Sun Microsystems).

Brooks received her M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team that won three conference championships and went to the NCAA Final Four. Brooks serves on the national board of directors for Positive Coaching Alliance, a nonprofit organization. She also has been recognized by SportsBusiness Journal (Forty Under 40) and Forbes (Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports).

A native of Sacramento, Calif., Brooks lives in Darien, Conn. with her husband and two daughters.

11/2017

Rick Buchanan is General Counsel of the NBA and the league’s Chief Compliance Officer. He also serves as Secretary of the NBA’s Board of Governors.

As General Counsel, Buchanan is responsible for all legal affairs of the NBA and its affiliates, including collective bargaining with NBA players, Board of Governors and ownership matters, litigation, legislation, investigations, legal issues arising from the league’s various commercial businesses, player matters, and team and arena issues. In his role as Chief Compliance Officer, Buchanan oversees the Code of Conduct applicable to all NBA employees, and is responsible for the league’s compliance program, including anti-gambling education and enforcement, and FCPA matters.

Buchanan currently serves on the Legal Commission of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and is a frequent lecturer on sports law – including at the Columbia, Georgetown, Virginia, and Brooklyn schools of law.

Before joining the NBA in 1993, Buchanan was associated with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, DC, where he was a litigator concentrating on professional sports and antitrust matters, and served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Kenneth W. Starr of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Buchanan is a 1985 graduate of Amherst College and a 1988 graduate of the Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

4/2017

As CEO of NBA China, Derek Chang oversees all of the league’s basketball and business development in China, including television, digital media, marketing partnerships, social responsibility, events, communications and new initiatives. He will lead a staff based in the NBA’s Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong offices.

Chang and his team work on continuing to expand the NBA’s presence in China and establishing it as the preeminent sports league in the country. The league’s 31-year partnership with China Central Television (CCTV), groundbreaking collaboration with Tencent – the NBA’s largest international digital partnership – and youth basketball development work with the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Jr. NBA have all fueled the growth of the NBA throughout the country.

Chang was appointed to the position in April 2018 by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after leading and managing global media brands for more than 20 years. He was most recently the Head of International Lifestyle Channels at Scripps Networks Interactive based first in Singapore and then London, where he directed the international expansion of Scripps’ lifestyle brands.

Prior to Scripps, Chang was Executive Vice President of Content Strategy and Development at DIRECTV, where he oversaw all content acquisition and production. He previously held senior executive positions with Charter Communications, the YES Network and TCI Communications. He also served on the board of directors of Starz after its public spin-off in 2013.

Chang holds an MBA from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University. He was named one of Cablefax Magazine’s “Top 100 Executives in Cable” and one of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business” by SportsBusiness Journal.

Chang and his wife, Katherine, have two daughters.

5/2018

As Vice President & Managing Director, NBA India, Yannick Colaco manages the NBA’s India office based in Mumbai, and oversees all of the league’s business and basketball development in the country. Colaco reports to NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.

Colaco – who played basketball at the national university level in India – works with the league’s media, marketing and merchandising partners to make the NBA more accessible to fans in India. Under his leadership, the NBA has seen tremendous growth in India in the last three years fueled by a multi-year television partnership with Sony SIX, a localized digital destination in partnership with The 120 Media Collective, the league’s first online store in India (in partnership with Jabong) and two of the largest grassroots sports programs in the country.

Colaco leads the league’s efforts to grow participation in basketball in partnership with the Basketball Federation of India, launching nationwide grassroots programs including the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program, ACG-NBA Jump and NBA Zone, engaging millions of youth and basketball instructors each year. Colaco also played a key role in the establishment of NBA Basketball Schools in India, tuition-based basketball development programs for male and female players ages 6-18, and NBA Academy India, a first-of-its-kind elite basketball training center for top male and female prospects from throughout India. In addition, Colaco is responsible for growing the league’s social media presence in the country, amassing more than 4 million fans from India who follow the NBA on social media.

Prior to joining the NBA in February 2013, Colaco served as COO of Nimbus Sport. During his tenure, Colaco led the company’s business interests across a wide range of sports properties including the Indian Premier League, the English Premier League, Cricket World Cup’s, Indian Open Golf and Asia Cup events. Colaco began his career at IMG, and has amassed over 16 years of experience in the media industry with a specialization in the field of sport

A native of Goa, Colaco received his B.A. in Economics from SP Chowgule College.

3/2017

As President of Administration at the National Basketball Association, Robert Criqui oversees the global facilities, benefits, information technology, security, risk management, internal audit, diversity and inclusion, people & culture, and administration affairs of the league and its related entities. His responsibilities also include administration of leaguewide team programs, including benefit and pension plans, the team air charter program, and leaguewide insurance programs. Criqui is also a director of NBA China.

Criqui joined the NBA in 1983 as controller, became Vice President in 1989, Senior Vice President in 1997, Executive Vice President in 2004, and President in 2010. He first became associated with the NBA when the league was a client of his at the accounting firm of Ernst & Young in New York, where he worked for seven years.

Criqui, a 1976 graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, currently resides in Ridgewood, N.J. with his family.

6/2016

As Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Latin America, Arnon de Mello oversees the development and expansion of the NBA’s business and basketball initiatives throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. He directs all of the league’s efforts in the region across marketing partnerships, events, television, digital media and licensed merchandise through a dedicated Latin America team with headquarters in New York City and two local offices in Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.

Since joining the NBA in 2012 as Vice President and Managing Director, NBA Brazil, de Mello launched the NBA’s regional office in Rio de Janeiro and oversaw the continued growth of the business in Brazil. As part of his efforts to grow the game, he directed key strategic partnerships, including with Globosat and Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB), grew the league’s local sponsorship business, successfully launched the NBA’s e-commerce presence in Brazil, and brought the game closer to fans through programs such as NBA Global Games, Basketball without Borders, NBA3X and Jr. NBA.

Prior to joining the NBA, de Mello was the CEO and co-founder of Loops, which helps companies, political parties, and community groups with their social media strategies. He also has a background in investment banking, covering the media, telecom, and technology industries in both the U.S. and Brazil, spending years with Astor Group and Barclays Capital.

de Mello also was the elected president of CSA (professional soccer team) from 1999-2001, and ran for Congress in 2002.

de Mello is a graduate of MIT Sloan School of Management, Harvard University, and University of Chicago. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, German, and French, and can speak conversational Spanish and Italian.

6/2016

Ayala Deutsch is Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of NBA Properties, where she is responsible for managing commercial legal affairs and intellectual property matters for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its affiliated leagues, including the global acquisition, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights belonging to the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the NBA G League and their respective teams.

Her specialties include trademark law, copyright law, and technology law. Deutsch was named to her current position in January 2016, after serving as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel since February 2014. Deutsch also previously served as Senior Vice President & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel. She joined NBA Properties in January 1998.

Prior to joining the NBA, Deutsch was an associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York, where she specialized in intellectual property litigation and arbitration.

Deutsch formerly was appointed to the Trademark Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Currently, Deutsch is Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Trademark Association, and serves as an adjunct professor of sports law at Cardozo School of Law.

Deutsch received her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1989.

7/2017

As Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, Brendan Donohue is responsible for overseeing the newly formed esports league set to launch in 2018. Donohue, a sports industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in team and league operations, manages a league that will feature 17 NBA teams in its inaugural season.

Prior to assuming his current role in April 2017, Donohue served as Senior Vice President of the NBA’s industry-renowned Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) department, where he led the strategic planning and management for all teams across the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League, helping them innovate in sales, marketing, digital and analytical areas of their business. He was instrumental in several of TMBO’s accomplishments, including assisting with ownership transitions in Sacramento, Philadelphia, Detroit and Memphis. His responsibilities also included leading team business discussions at WNBA and NBA G League Board of Governors meetings and presenting at frequent workshops, including assisting NBA team presidents on best practices in marketing, ticket sales and sponsorship sales.

Before joining the NBA league office in 2009, Donohue spent five years as Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service with the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Philips Arena. During his career in Atlanta, Donohue led five consecutive seasons of revenue growth, including ranking first in the NBA in ticket revenue growth during the 2008-09 season. He also previously held positions with the then-New Orleans Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment.

Donohue earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College in 1996. He resides in Fairfield, Conn., with his wife Patty, daughter Mandy and son Carter.

8/2017

As Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at the NBA, Pam El is responsible for the league’s global marketing operation, directing brand development, overall marketing, and advertising for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League.

With more than 30 years of experience, El has long been recognized as an industry leader for her expertise in brand management, marketing strategy, creative development, and media and sponsorships. She led the NBA’s “This Is Why We Play” and 2018 Playoffs and Finals campaigns, delivering the league’s best postseason viewership across all networks in six years, and oversaw the revision of the NBA’s brand identity system to further establish and reinforce its global presence. El has also supported the WNBA’s “Watch Me Work” campaign, which won a 2017 Cynopsis Sports Media Award for Best 30-Second Spot (Sports Category), the rebrand of the NBA G League, and the launch of the NBA 2K League.

Prior to joining the NBA in 2014, El served as Senior Vice President of Financial Brand Marketing for Nationwide Insurance, where she spearheaded brand marketing for financial services and directed the creative, media, and research initiatives for its first direct-to-consumer campaign. Preceding her time at Nationwide, El spent more than a decade with State Farm Insurance in the role of Marketing Vice President, where she led sales and marketing strategy for the U.S. and Canada.

El has received a variety of distinctions throughout her career, including being named to Forbes’ 2018 Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports and Fast Company’s 2018 Most Creative People in Business lists. She has also been recognized in Advertising Age’s 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising in 2012 and with the Changing the Game Award from the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY). El has served on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Ad Council, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and the LIFE Foundation.

El earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. She resides in New York City with her husband William.

6/2018

As Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall works with local federations and basketball entities in Africa to grow the game of basketball in the region. Fall, originally from Senegal, also oversees the NBA’s grassroots events and its partnerships with marketing, media and consumer products companies in Africa.

Before joining the league office, Fall worked for the Dallas Mavericks as Director of Player Personnel and Vice President of International Affairs. He served as the team’s goodwill ambassador internationally and oversaw their scouting assignments. In his role, Fall traveled to Africa and was an integral part of the NBA’s Basketball without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global elite basketball development program that also uses the sport to create positive social change in the areas of education, health, and wellness. Prior to spending 12 years with the Mavericks, Fall worked for the Senegalese Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Senegalese Basketball Federation. The national team he assembled won the 1997 African Championship and participated in the 1998 FIBA World Championship in Greece.

Fall is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of the District of Columbia, where he played center on the basketball team.

1/2016

As Senior Vice President, Corporate Services for the National Basketball Association, Jarad Franzreb oversees the global production of corporate events and videos for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and USA Basketball. His responsibilities also include the production management of league marketing campaigns and public service announcements, archiving and distribution of NBA photography and video to league broadcast partners, marketing partners, and third party licensees.

Since joining the league in 1994, Franzreb has held a variety of positions in the league’s Production, Marketing and Sales, and Advertising groups. Prior to joining the NBA, he was the Director of Public Relations for the Celebrity Golf Association, coordinating publicity and public relations for a variety of events throughout North America. Franzreb tipped off his NBA career with the New York Knicks, where he began as a Public Relations intern in the 1991-92 season and assisted in various capacities with the organization through 1997.

In 1992, Franzreb earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology/psychology from Fordham University, where he also played and coached basketball.

A Staten Island, N.Y. native, Franzreb resides in New Providence, N.J. with his wife Crissy and daughter Ally.

7/2017

Steve Hellmuth is Executive Vice President, Media Operations & Technology for NBA Entertainment. He is responsible for overseeing the league’s broadcast operations and engineering departments. He also oversees the development and implementation of the NBA broadcast facility standards for the design, construction and operation of NBA arenas.

Under Hellmuth’s direction, the NBA installed SportVU Player Tracking technology from Stats, Inc., in every NBA venue, making the NBA the first major U.S. professional sports league to quantify and analyze the movement of live game action throughout an entire season. The system calibrates and measures the movements of all players and the ball on the court.

He also led the launch of the NBA Digital Media Archive, the first major professional sports league to unveil such an initiative. The NBA is currently in the process of digitizing the league’s entire video library – more than 400,000 hours of games, highlights and programming – to create the digital media archive. The global delivery of video and statistics via satellite, fiber, broadband and mobile also falls under Hellmuth’s purview.

Before joining the NBA, Hellmuth spent two years as the Senior Vice President & General Manager of Major League Baseball Productions, where he supervised the programming and production departments. Prior to that, Hellmuth served as General Manager for Potomac Television Communications in Washington, D.C. He also worked at NBC in New York from 1979 to 1987, serving as Production Manager for the network’s sports division. Hellmuth produced the Emmy-nominated opening telecasts for the 1986 World Series and coordinated the production of Olympic profiles for the 1980 Moscow games.

Hellmuth is the past Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Sports Video Group and the Content and Communications World Council.

Hellmuth graduated from Princeton University in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in art history.

6/2016

Eric Hutcherson leads the NBA’s Human Resources department, managing a team that drives the NBA’s global workforce strategy built on a commitment to attracting, retaining, developing and engaging top talent for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League. With a focus on people, culture and innovation, Hutcherson is responsible for leading global projects, processes and analytics that address business needs. He partners with the leagues’ senior leadership to enable, empower and develop employees in 13 U.S. and international offices guided by the league’s strategic direction.

Prior to joining the NBA in July 2014, Hutcherson was Managing Director and Chief HR Officer for the U.S. and Canada Division of Marsh, a leading global insurance brokerage firm. Before that, he held several leadership positions at Mercer, a financial services and human resource consulting firm, including Chief Human Resources Officer – Americas, and Global Leader for Mercer’s Outsourcing and Global Operations and Shared Services businesses.

Earlier in his career, he worked for Foot Locker and served as Assistant Director of Public Relations for the Boston Celtics.

Outside of the NBA, Hutcherson is a motivational speaker and created a career development training program, “Say Yes to Success.” He serves on the Board of Trustees for The Hun School of Princeton, the Board of Directors for Covenant House and the Senior Advisory Council for the National Association of African Americans in HR.

Hutcherson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from New York University and a master’s degree in Sports Management and Administration from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He resides in Freehold, N.J., with his wife Linda and their two sons, Austin and Myles.

6/2018

As Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations at the National Basketball Association, Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson directs the NBA’s officiating program with responsibility for the recruitment, training, development and evaluation of all referees.

Johnson joined the NBA in October 2017 after serving with distinction in various Air Force assignments. Most recently, she spent four years as the Air Force Academy’s 19th superintendent – the first woman to hold the position, which is equivalent to college president. Upon retirement in August, Johnson received the Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility.

A command pilot with more than 3,600 flight hours, Johnson was the Air Force aide to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton from 1992-94. She also served as the Air Force’s Director of Public Affairs (2005-07), the Deputy Director for Information and Cyberspace Policy on the Joint Staff (2007-09) and NATO’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence (2011-13), among other positions.

Johnson’s tenure as the Academy’s superintendent marked her latest trailblazing accomplishment. Previously, she was the Air Force’s first female cadet wing commander, first female Rhodes Scholar (1981-83) and first female inductee into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2007). She is now on the selection committee for the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

Johnson is a distinguished 1981 graduate of the Air Force Academy. She was a three-time basketball team captain, the second-leading scorer in school history and the first woman inducted into the Air Force Sports Hall of Fame (inaugural class of 2007). Her career scoring average of 17.6 points per game is the highest in school history.

Johnson and her husband, retired Air Force pilot John Hargreaves, have twin sons, Mitchell and Preston.

10/2017

As President of Global Content & Media Distribution, Bill Koenig is responsible for the domestic and international media businesses for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and USA Basketball. In this role, Koenig develops strategies for dealing with the rapidly changing media landscape, structures and negotiates broadcast, digital and social media agreements, and advises NBA teams on local media matters. Koenig also helps manage the NBA’s relationships with the league’s major media partners around the globe, such as ABC/ESPN, Turner, 21st Century Fox, Comcast, AT&T/DirecTV, Verizon, Tencent and a number of digital and social media partners. Additionally, Koenig oversees the NBA’s content development, production and licensing activities and the league’s direct-to-consumer content offerings (including NBA TV, NBA LEAGUE PASS and the NBA’s applications and websites).

Prior to his current role, Koenig was NBA Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and General Counsel, where he was the head of business affairs and responsible for all legal work across a variety of league businesses, including digital, television, media, sponsorship and licensing. In that role, Koenig helped negotiate virtually every major commercial agreement for the NBA, developed and oversaw the league’s media policies, and was instrumental in many NBA accomplishments, including the launch and growth of NBA TV and the WNBA, the NBA’s partnership with Turner to jointly manage NBA Digital’s assets, and the creation of NBA China. Koenig joined the NBA in 1990 and served as the NBA’s Assistant General Counsel before becoming General Counsel of NBA Entertainment in 1993.

Koenig serves on the Board of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the T. Howard Foundation. Prior to joining the NBA, Koenig was associated with the law firm of Proskauer Rose Goetz and Mendelsohn, where he was a litigator who concentrated on professional sports and antitrust matters.

Koenig graduated with honors from Harvard University, the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Law Review.

Koenig is a native of Hollywood, Fla., and resides in Scarsdale, N.Y.

7/2017

As President, Global Partnerships, Salvatore LaRocca oversees the NBA’s commercial partnerships business on a global basis. LaRocca leads a team that is responsible for the management of the league’s global merchandising and marketing partnerships.

Previously, LaRocca served as President, Global Operations and Merchandising, where he managed the NBA’s regional offices and international development as well as the league’s award-winning merchandising and consumer products business. In that role, LaRocca oversaw a staff based in offices worldwide who manage the NBA’s international business activities across consumer products, television and media, marketing partnerships, events, communications and new business initiatives.

Under his direction, NBA merchandise has grown to global distribution in more than 100 countries on six continents and sales on NBAStore.com have increased by more than 100 percent. Under LaRocca’s leadership, LIMA, the worldwide trade organization for the licensing industry, has named the NBA Sports License of the Year and the league’s Hardwood Classics collection as Best Sports Product.

LaRocca was also responsible for the completion of the NBA’s global merchandising and marketing partnerships with adidas, Electronic Arts, Nike, Panini, Spalding and Take Two, and developed the structure of the league’s global video game and E-commerce businesses. Prior to this, LaRocca served as the NBA’s Vice President of E-commerce, managing the 2000 relaunch of NBAStore.com.

In 1996, he was promoted to Vice President of Licensing. Prior to 1996, LaRocca oversaw the league’s apparel and USA Basketball licensing programs. LaRocca joined the NBA in March 1990 as Eastern Regional Sales Manager.

LaRocca serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of LaSalle Academy in New York City and is on the Board of Directors for the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. LaRocca has previously served on the board of LIMA and is a past recipient of the SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 award.

3/2017

As Senior Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Asia, Scott Levy oversees development and expansion of the NBA’s strategic initiatives in Asia excluding Greater China. Levy also directs all of NBA Asia’s business groups, including content distribution, global partnerships, events and marketing. Levy reports to NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.

Since Levy’s arrival in 2009, the league has dramatically expanded its local partnerships, resulting in more than 130 NBA-branded retail doors and e-commerce sites, multiple new marketing partners, the launch of Jr. NBA across Southeast Asia and more than 12 million followers from Asia across the league’s global and local social media platforms.

From 2006 to 2009, Levy ran his own consulting company, MJ Global Sports and Media Inc. Levy previously worked for the NBA for 10 years and left as Senior Vice President, International Television and Marketing Partnerships. During Levy’s tenure, he helped grow broadcast distribution for NBA programming to more than 200 countries and 40 languages. Under this leadership, the NBA launched many new content offerings internationally including NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour network.

Prior to beginning his first NBA stint in 1996, Levy traveled independently and extensively throughout China, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Levy is on the board of the Global Health Society, a nonprofit organization that conducts camps and develops programs for children with bleeding disorders. He has competed in multi-sport and adventure races, including the New York Marathon, Oxfam Japan Trailwalker and many triathlons raising funds for Fred’s Team and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Levy is based in Hong Kong with his wife Ilene and sons Matthew and Joshua.

3/2017

As the NBA’s Chief Financial Officer, J.B. Lockhart is responsible for overseeing the strategic planning and financial affairs of the league, including accounting, financial reporting and the management of the NBA’s financial relationships.

Prior to assuming his current role in June 2017, Lockhart spent more than three years at the league office spearheading the financial reporting and analysis of NBA, WNBA and NBA G League teams as Senior Vice President, Team Finance & Strategy. He was instrumental on the NBA’s leaguewide financing program, team ownership transactions, arena projects, collective bargaining, league investments and other strategic initiatives.

In 2017, Lockhart was honored by SportsBusiness Journal with a Forty Under 40 Award.

Before joining the NBA in 2013, Lockhart was a Managing Director with Teneo Capital, where he led the firm’s media and entertainment merchant banking practice. Previously, Lockhart was a Principal at Greenhill & Co.’s venture capital fund, which invested in digital media, marketing technology and ecommerce companies.

Preceding his time at Greenhill, Lockhart worked in The Walt Disney Company’s Strategic Planning Group, where he focused on business development and M&A initiatives, including the acquisition of Pixar and the sale of Disney’s stake in E! Networks. In this role, he also partnered with the leaders of Disney’s business units on the launch of new businesses and the annual financial planning process. Prior to Disney, Lockhart worked at Lehman Brothers in both the Communications, Media & Entertainment Group and the Strategy & Technology Group.

Lockhart received a B.A. with honors from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He lives in Riverside, Conn., with his wife and two sons.

7/2017

As Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Canada, Dan MacKenzie is responsible for the development and growth of the league’s business in Canada, including television and digital media, marketing and retail partnerships, licensing, special events and basketball development. Under MacKenzie’s leadership, the popularity and business of the NBA in Canada are at an all-time high.

MacKenzie has driven record growth in NBA Canada’s business operations, including signing marketing partnerships with some of Canada’s leading brands such as AIR MILES, Bell, BMO, Cara Foods, Foot Locker and Molson Coors. MacKenzie has overseen significant growth of the NBA’s media footprint in Canada, including the launch and sales of presenting sponsorships of games broadcast live in virtual reality, as well as continued growth in NBA LEAGUE PASS, the league’s signature digital product.

He has been instrumental to many of NBA Canada’s signature achievements, including the success of NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto – the first All-Star to take place outside of the U.S; the development of the NBA Canada Series, which brings live NBA basketball to Canadian markets outside of Toronto each October; and the launch of the Jr. NBA Rookie Division, the NBA’s first-ever development program tailored for children ages 5-7 that teaches the fundamental skills and values of the game.

MacKenzie began his career with NBA Canada in 1998, spending five years managing NBA Canada’s event properties and basketball development initiatives. In 2003, MacKenzie moved to Paris, France to lead the NBA Europe Games, an exhibition series that featured the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies playing games in Paris and Barcelona. From Europe, MacKenzie moved to TSN to serve as Senior Marketing Manager for the group’s sports specialty channel. In 2005, MacKenzie returned to NBA Canada, where he assumed the role of Director of Marketing. In 2007, he was promoted to General Manager, and in January 2011 was promoted to Vice President & Managing Director.

MacKenzie sits on the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) Canada Board of Advisors, is a judge for the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC) 2017 Sponsorship Marketing Awards, a mentor as part of the SMCC Mentorship Program and past chair of the SMCC. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Education degree from Brock University and is a graduate of George Brown College’s Sport and Event Marketing program.

MacKenzie currently lives in Guelph with his wife Nancy, his two children Ben and Ella, and their dog Oakley.

3/2017

As Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training, Monty McCutchen oversees the day-to-day management and oncourt performance of all officials in the NBA officiating program, which services the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League.

McCutchen assumed his current position in December 2017 after spending 25 seasons as an NBA official. One of the league’s highest-rated and most respected referees, McCutchen officiated more than 1,400 regular-season games and 169 playoff games. He refereed 16 games in the NBA Finals, most recently working Game 3 of the 2017 championship series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

Before joining the NBA, McCutchen served as a referee in the Continental Basketball Association for four seasons. He officiated playoff games all four years, including the CBA Finals in his last three seasons.

A native of San Angelo, Texas, McCutchen earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature and speech communication from the University of Texas at Arlington. McCutchen and his wife have a son and a daughter.

1/2018

Danny Meiseles serves as President and Executive Producer, Content for the National Basketball Association, after his promotion to the position in February 2014. In this role, Meiseles oversees the development, production and programming of NBA, WNBA and NBA G League content and events globally. Meiseles is also responsible for overseeing the league’s digital media, production operations, and corporate and special services functions as well as managing the league’s relationships with its national television partners – ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA Digital – and its local and regional partners, including Fox Sports Network.

Meiseles started at the NBA in 1990 as an associate producer. During his career at the league, he has produced and coordinated NBAE live entertainment productions for ABC, NBC, ESPN, TNT, MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as at the basketball venues for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. A graduate of St. John’s University, Meiseles began his career at NBC as associate producer working on the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

7/2017

As Senior Vice President & Chief Security Officer at the National Basketball Association, Jerome Pickett oversees all aspects of the league’s domestic and international security operations.

Prior to joining the NBA in October 2014, Pickett spent 16 years with the United States Secret Service (USSS). Most recently, Pickett served as a supervisory special agent of the Presidential counter assault team, providing global tactical support for the President in the event of various potential threats. Prior to that, Pickett held a variety of positions and responsibilities within the USSS, from leading forensic investigations into electronic crimes, to managing protective services for the President and First Lady, to participating in search and rescue operations at Ground Zero and working with a team of USSS agents that investigated the terrorists involved in the September 11 attacks.

Pickett has received numerous awards, including the U.S. Secret Service Medal of Valor for his heroic actions during 9/11. In 2015, Pickett was honored by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security with an Industry Leader Under 40 Award, which recognizes a professional that has demonstrated outstanding leadership in addressing safety and security issues. He also serves as a member of the Marist College Alumni Executive Board.

Pickett earned a master’s degree in Homeland Security from American Military University and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Marist College.

7/2015

Dan Rube joined the NBA in 1995 and currently serves as the league’s Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.

Rube’s principal responsibilities include collective bargaining with the National Basketball Players Association, management of the NBA’s salary cap system, counseling teams on matters relating to the CBA and league rules, and the formulation and implementation of league revenue-sharing policies. In addition to his work in these areas, Rube is responsible for implementing the NBA’s agreement with FIBA, basketball’s world governing body, and for overseeing the structuring and administration of league-wide benefit programs for players, coaches, and team executives. Rube also works on projects for the NBA Board of Governors and on various competition-related matters.

Prior to joining the NBA, Rube served as a law clerk for the Hon. Robert Cowen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and worked as a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and the Philadelphia law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. Rube received his B.A. from Amherst College in 1988 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991.

1/2015

As Senior Vice President, Chief Facilities Officer, Chris Russo is responsible for overseeing the design and development of various NBA projects and represents league interests on real estate initiatives including league offices and arena developments. In his role, Russo also manages the league’s Facilities & Venues department, which oversees and maintains the operations of league facilities, including those in New York and NBA Entertainment in New Jersey.

Russo joined the NBA in 1996 and during his tenure has overseen the successful completion of several major NBA initiatives, including the design and construction of the NBA’s flagship retail store in New York City and the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, N.J. As a leading facility and arena design and construction expert, Russo directs the league’s oversight of all new arena development and is credited with the creation of the NBA Arena Standards. Russo has been instrumental in the development and oversight of more than 65 NBA venue projects, including the recently completed Golden1Center in Sacramento and Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Russo has also directed league design and development interests internationally, focusing on the creation of NBA properties such as branded attractions, NBA Academies and the development of NBA-style arenas globally including those in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, China. Russo was also instrumental in the formation of NBA China, Ltd.

Prior to joining the NBA, Russo worked for New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the Mayor’s Office of Construction, where he played a significant role in the formation of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction. Russo began his career with the Turner Construction Company in New York City, where he was instrumental in the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, among other projects, and was a recipient of the World Trade Center Award for Exceptional Service.

11/2018

As President, League Operations at the National Basketball Association, Byron Spruell oversees critical league operations, including the Basketball Operations, Referee Operations and Basketball Strategy & Analytics departments and the processes regarding the management of rule changes, the evaluation and training of game officials, the enforcement of conduct standards and discipline, and the application of analytics and innovation on the future of the game. Spruell also collaborates with USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to promote the global growth of the game and development of players worldwide.

Prior to joining the NBA in August 2016, Spruell spent 20 years at Deloitte LLP, most recently as its Vice Chairman, Central Region Market Leader. He spearheaded the firm’s client and business growth and strategic positioning across 22 states consisting of 31 offices and more than 14,000 Deloitte professionals across the region. He also served as Chicago Managing Principal, supervising talent and community involvement initiatives in the local office.

Spruell has served on several charitable boards and committees, including World Business Chicago and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and is active in various nonprofit organizations, including the United Way, Big Shoulders Fund, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Chicago Urban League. He is currently on the boards of the Museum of Science and Industry, Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago and the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York.

Spruell, who grew up in Cleveland, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame. He was an offensive lineman and co-captain of the Fighting Irish’s football team and currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees and as an Advisor on the Monogram Club. Spruell met his wife, Sedra, at Notre Dame. They have a son, Devyn, and a daughter, Aleah.

2/2017

David Stern completed his 30-year tenure as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014.

As commissioner, Mr. Stern built the model for professional sports in league operations, public service, global marketing, television distribution and digital technology. He oversaw the NBA’s extraordinary growth with seven new franchises, a more than 30-fold increase in revenues, a dramatic expansion of national television exposure and the launch of two leagues, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. He negotiated the first anti-drug agreement in professional sports and introduced the salary cap system and revenue sharing to the NBA.

The NBA experienced tremendous global growth during Mr. Stern’s tenure, and that growth continues today: The NBA has 12 offices outside the United States; its games and programming are televised and streamed in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages; and it offers fans 19 international online destinations. The NBA was the first U.S. professional sports league to stage regular-season games outside North America, and the league has played more than 165 international preseason and regular-season games to date.

Mr. Stern also oversaw the launch of the leagues’ digital assets, including NBA.com, WNBA.com, and NBADLeague.com; social media platforms; NBA LEAGUE PASS; NBA TV; and mobile applications, all of which reach hundreds of millions of fans every day.

An intense commitment to social responsibility both in the United States and around the world marked Mr. Stern’s tenure as commissioner. Under his leadership, the league launched NBA Cares, a global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. NBA Cares supports a host of community outreach initiatives, including a myriad of internationally recognized youth-serving programs that focus on education, youth and family development, and health and wellness.

Mr. Stern was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2014 and the International Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a 2013 recipient of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, awarded by Harvard University in recognition of contributions to African and African-American culture, and a recipient of the Yale Executive Leadership Institute’s Legend in Leadership Award which celebrates contemporary business leaders who have made transformational contributions across sectors. He is the chair emeritus of the Trustees of Columbia University and serves or has served on the boards of the Rutgers University Foundation, the NAACP, the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Paley Center for Media and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A native of New York City, Mr. Stern is a graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia Law School.

Currently, as CEO of DJS Global Advisors, Mr. Stern is a Senior Advisor to the NBA, investment bank PJT Partners, venture capital firm Greycroft Partners and PWC’s Entertainment and Media Advisory Practice, as well as an advisor to several sports technology start-ups.

6/2017

As Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at the National Basketball Association, Oris Stuart is responsible for overseeing diversity and inclusion strategies for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League and NBA 2K League. He provides best practices and leadership on diversity and inclusion matters to the league offices and teams, oversees efforts to increase the number of minority- and women-owned suppliers, and supports efforts to attract, develop and retain diverse talent. Stuart also leads the Global Inclusion Council to ensure engagement on the league’s diversity and inclusion strategies at all levels.

Stuart has more than 15 years of experience as a business executive in diversity and inclusion issues. Prior to joining the NBA in June 2015, Stuart spent two years as a Senior Partner with Korn Ferry, an executive search and talent management firm, where he led its Inclusion and Diversity practice. Previously, Stuart served as the Chief Executive Officer for Global Novations, the world’s leading provider of diversity and inclusion consulting and training solutions. During his tenure with Global Novations, Stuart supported clients across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, guided the expansion of the firm’s technology and consulting platforms, oversaw a tenfold increase in the firm’s size, and engineered its ultimate acquisition by Korn Ferry in 2012.

Earlier in his career, Stuart served as a senior business manager and strategy and operations consultant for such organizations as Deloitte, Providian, and Wingspan Technology.

Stuart graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in electrical engineering and holds an MBA from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar and a National Black MBA Scholarship recipient. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Black MBA Association and most recently became a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization that empowers African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities.

7/2018

As President of the NBA G League, Malcolm Turner oversees the business and basketball operations for the NBA G League.

Under Turner’s leadership, the league experienced a dramatic and groundbreaking transformation to become the NBA G League in the first title partnership of its kind. Since assuming his current role in November 2014, the NBA G League has grown to a record 26 teams for the 2017-18 season with continued expansion on the horizon as the league continues to fulfill its mission of having 30 teams.

Before joining the NBA family, Turner worked at Wasserman Media Group as the managing director of the golf division. Prior to that, Turner helped build Wasserman’s consulting division as its managing director, creating and managing sports, entertainment, venue and new product launch strategies for leading corporate brands and properties.

Preceding his time at Wasserman, Turner served as the senior vice president of OnSport, a North Carolina-based sports and entertainment consulting firm, where he managed strategy for clients including American Express, Nokia, Travelers and Northern Trust. As a former tournament official for the PGA Tour, Turner also managed the event marketing and activation of numerous PGA Tour Championship events.

Turner was recognized as a member of SportsBusiness Journal’s “Forty Under 40” in 2007 and has served on the advisory boards of Teach for America, the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund.

A member of the New York State Bar, Turner earned his joint J.D./M.B.A degrees from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Turner worked with the NBA’s President of Marketing and Media in conjunction with the launch of the WNBA and consulted with the President of Major League Baseball Properties.

Turner holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNC Chapel Hill. He resides in New York City with his wife Jessica.

6/2017

E.M. ‘Kiki’ VanDeWeghe III, the NBA’s Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations, oversees all aspects of basketball related to the playing of the game.

VanDeWeghe joined the NBA league office in April 2013 as Vice President, Basketball Operations and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations later the same year. He has been involved in a broad range of basketball matters, including the development of playing rules and interpretations, game analytics, disciplinary matters, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of NBA games. He also serves as a key liaison between the league office and its teams, drawing upon his years of experience as a general manager, coach and player. Additionally, VanDeWeghe serves as a board member for both the NCAA’s Competition Committee and FIBA.

Before his time with the league office, VanDeWeghe spent two years with FOX Sports West as a writer and analyst covering the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to that, he served as the general manager, and for one season the interim head coach, of the New Jersey Nets from 2007 to 2010. Before joining the Nets, VanDeWeghe was a broadcast analyst for two years with ESPN. From 2001 to 2006, VanDeWeghe served as the general manager of the Denver Nuggets.

VanDeWeghe’s NBA playing career spanned 13 years, with the Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks and Clippers, during which he averaged 19.7 points per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 87.2 percent from the foul line, made two All-Star appearances and helped his teams to the postseason 12 times.

A native of Los Angeles, VanDeWeghe attended UCLA from 1976 to 1980 and led the Bruins to the national title game his senior season. He received his degree in economics and was a Rhodes Scholar finalist.

3/2017