At the end of the 2020-21 season, a vital piece of the Golden State Warriors’ run to three championships is set to retire. After a 46 year decorated career in the NBA, the Warriors president and COO Rick Welts will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Welts joined the Warriors in 2011 after stints with the Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns. Welts also spent 17 years with the NBA as a league executive.
Along with making a noted impact around the association, Welts broke personal barriers across sports. In 2011, Welts became the highest-ranking executive in men’s sports to acknowledge he is gay.
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During his 10 year run in the Bay Area, Welts helped oversee Golden State’s three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Welts was a centerpiece in the franchise’s transition from Oakland’s Oracle Arena to San Francisco’s new Chase Center.
Via @WarriorsPR on Twitter:
Golden State Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts will step away from his role with the organization at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. Welts, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, has spent nearly five decades in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/y2zvJ9t9wm
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 8, 2021
As a league executive with the NBA, Welts played a role in promoting and marketing the 1992 USA men’s Olympic “Dream Team” and the WNBA. Welts is credited with helping develop the idea for NBA All-Star weekend. In 2018, Welts was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
After the 2020-21 season, Welts will stay with the Warriors as an advisor. Golden State is expected to name a new president over the next week.
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