The Dallas Mavericks basketball team will go from one historic CEO to another.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the organization named Rick Welts, a hall-of-famer, to replace Cynt Marshall, the first Black female CEO of any NBA team.
“I am delighted to pass the baton to my friend and to arguably the best who's ever done the job of leading business operations of an NBA team," said Marshall as she handed a black baton to Welts.
Marshall announced her retirement as CEO in the fall. She will retire on Dec. 31 and transition to a consulting role through 2025.
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Welts is set to take over on Jan. 1, 2025. Marshall said Welts had supported her for years.
"Rick actually sent me an email before I even knew that I had a Dallas Mavericks email account to offer his expertise," she said.
Marshall also shared a story about her first visit back to the San Francisco Bay Area as Mavs CEO when they played the Golden State Warriors. She was surprised to see her face on the jumbotron, with ushers welcoming her home.
Dallas Mavericks
“And then Rick looks over at me, and he just smiles. Who does that? Who does that? He was so proud that I was back home, and that’s the moment I realized that our competition is only on the court," she said.
Welts has made his own mark on NBA history, creating the NBA All-Star Weekend in 1984 and being part of four NBA championship teams, two in the WNBA and one in the NBA G League. He was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
“I started as a ball boy for the Seattle Supersonics and here I am today, and I could not be more excited," Welts said on Wednesday.
Still, he said he's got big shoes to fill here in Dallas.
“This amazing woman has impact way beyond the Dallas Mavericks, OK," Welts said.
He said teams across the league have learned from her legacy-- she joined the Mavs as they were tackling sexual harassment and workplace misconduct issues.
Welt said Marshall's energy and grace have created a new culture.
“Your legacy that you’re leaving behind, I promise you this culture that you built, I’m going to do my best to maintain, because it’s something special and it was created by something special—someone special," Welts told Marshall.
Welts has also served as president of the Phoenix Suns and, most recently, in the same role for the Golden State Warriors when they won three championships.
