Can you have a career in professional sports without being a pro athlete? Rick Welts, president and COO of the Golden State Warriors did just that. His career began when, as a teenager, he landed the job of ball boy for the Seattle Supersonics. His drive, commitment, and love for the game got him noticed and led to his being offered a job with the National Basketball Association when it was just getting off the ground. His career grew as the NBA grew as a league. In fact, he was instrumental in making this happen.
It wasn't all fun and games though. He faced challenges, both professionally and personally. On this episode, he candidly shares his experiences, insights and life lessons that extend well beyond sports.
Meet the Guest
Rick Welts, President & Chief Operating Officer of the Golden State Warriors, is one of the most respected executives in the NBA and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Rick has 45 years of experience in the league and has spent the last eight seasons as president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors. In this role, he oversees all business-related operations for the Warriors, including Chase Center and Thrive City, a privately financed sports and entertainment district in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. The spectacular arena, which opened in September of 2019, is considered one of Welts’ finest accomplishments during a storied career and, in fact, led to his opportunity to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange during Chase Center’s opening month.
He owns the rare distinction of being part of championship teams in the NBA (4), WNBA (2) and NBA G League (1).
The 66-year-old Welts owns an impressive and all-encompassing résumé that includes a myriad of different capacities spanning virtually every level of an NBA operation. Prior to joining the Warriors in October 2011, he spent nine years as president of the Phoenix Suns. Welts’ responsibilities in Phoenix included the supervision of all business operations for the Suns, while also overseeing the team’s interest in the management of the US Airways Center and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Prior to joining the Suns, Welts enjoyed a successful 17-year stint at the NBA league office where he ascended to eventually become the league’s third-in-command as the executive vice president, chief marketing officer and president of NBA Properties. His notable accomplishments at the NBA include the creation of NBA All-Star Weekend and the marketing program for USA Basketball for the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team.” Welts was co-named “Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek in 1998 for his role in launching the WNBA.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Welts began his NBA career in 1969, at the age of 16, as a ball boy with the Seattle SuperSonics. He spent 10 years with his hometown team serving a number of roles, including as the team’s director of public relations during back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals (1978 and 1979) and the SuperSonics’ lone NBA Championship in 1979. In 2006, he was the recipient of the annual Splaver/McHugh “Tribute to Excellence Award,” which is given annually by the NBA Public Relations Directors’ Association to a current or former member of the NBA PR family who has demonstrated an outstanding level of performance and service during their NBA career.
In May of 2011, in a front page story in the New York Times, Welts became the highest ranking executive in men’s professional team sports to publicly acknowledge he is gay.
Links
Check out Rick’s front page New York Times article, A Sports Executive Leaves the Safety of His Shadow Life.
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