NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced the NBA Foundation Board of Directors, comprised of eight representatives from the NBA Board of Governors, players and executives from the NBPA and the league office. The Foundation’s Board of Directors will provide strategic direction with respect to programming and grantmaking as well as oversee the organization’s activities, working directly with all 30 NBA teams and their governors to support and facilitate sustainable initiatives in team markets. The inaugural board members are:
- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings Forward
- Gayle Benson, New Orleans Pelicans Governor
- Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers Forward
- Michael Jordan, Charlotte Hornets Chairman
- Tony Ressler, Atlanta Hawks Principal Owner
- Michele Roberts, NBPA Executive Director
- Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
- Larry Tanenbaum, NBA Board of Governors Chairman and Toronto Raptors Governor
Michele Roberts and Larry Tanenbaum will serve as ex-officio board members in their capacities as NBPA Executive Director and NBA Board of Governors Chairman, respectively. Additionally, members of the league office will serve as NBA Foundation officers, managing day-to-day activities and operations. The officers will be Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum as President, President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs Kathy Behrens as Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel Matthew Carpenter-Dennis as Secretary and Global Head of League Finance Heidi Nadler as Treasurer. A search for an Executive Director for the Foundation is underway.
As previously announced, the NBA Foundation will drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career advancement, seeking to increase access and support for high school, college-aged and career-ready men and women, and assist national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development in NBA markets and communities across the United States and Canada. Over the next 10 years, the 30 NBA team governors will collectively contribute $30 million annually in initial funding, and the Foundation will also work strategically with marketing and media partners to develop additional programming and funding sources. The NBA Foundation will collaborate with all 30 teams, their affiliated charitable organizations and the NBPA to support national organizations and their local affiliates as well as local grassroots organizations to create change in team markets.
The Foundation is one aspect of the NBA family’s collective efforts to address racial inequality and promote social justice, the goal of the 2019-20 season restart in Orlando. In addition to the formation of the Foundation, the NBA and NBPA are committed to increasing Black representation across the league, ensuring greater inclusion of Black-owned and operated businesses across NBA business activities and using the collective platforms and resources of the NBA and all 30 teams.
