The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), part of the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program in the UCF College of Business Administration, has released a report examining the hiring practices in the NBA. Data from The 2009 Racial and Gender Report Card: National Basketball Association concluded that the NBA remains the industry leader on issues related to race and gender hiring practices. According to the data, the league earned an A+ for race, and a B+/A- for gender for a combined score of “A.”
Richard Lapchick, director of TIDES and primary author of the report, noted that “NBA Commissioner David Stern has taken the lead on diversity issues in sport and has done so for decades. He sets the standard in the League Office where 35 percent of the professional positions are held by people of color. This is the highest percentage in the NBA’s history and the highest in the history of any professional sport. In addition, women held 43 percent of the professional positions in the NBA League Office, higher than any other men’s professional league in any previous Report Card.”
The full report can be viewed on the TIDES Web site.