The NBA leads the way in men’s professional sports when it comes to racial and gender hiring practices Ben Gamel Seattle Mariners Jersey , according to a diversity report released Tuesday.

The league earned an A for racial hiring practices and a B for gender hiring practices for an overall grade of an A. That keeps the NBA ”significantly above” other professional sports, according to Richard Lapchick, the report’s author and the director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

”The NBA remains the industry leader among men’s sports for racial and gender hiring practices even with the increased grading scales introduced last season,” Lapchick said.

The report states that the NBA league office has the best record for people of color in men’s professional sports at a 36.4 percent (357 of 980) employment rate.

The league, which was first to have three team owners who are people of color, had seven women who served as team presidents/CEOs during the 2017-2018 season – the highest among men’s professional sports.

The report states there are also more NBA general managers and head coaches of color than in the past.

The general managers who are people of color doubled last season from 10 percent (3 of 30) to 20 percent (6 of 30), which puts the NBA well ahead of other men’s sports leagues.

That’s a big positive, Lapchick said.

Nine of 30 NBA head coaches were people of color last season. But following changes at the end of this past season, one-third (10 of 30) of all NBA head coaches are now people of color.

The same trend has trickled down to the assistant coach level Alex McGough Color Rush Jersey , where the percentage of people of color increased from 45.4 percent (74 of 163) in 2016-2017 to 45.7 percent (79 of 173) this past season.

Likewise, there was an increase in the percentage of people of color as vice presidents at the team level, increasing to 25.4 percent (148 of 583) this past season, up nearly six percent (86 of 442) from the previous season.

Lapchick also said that in two of the other categories that were reclassified – team management and team professional staff – the percentage of people of color increased significantly from 23.4 percent (174 of 744) to 31.2 percent (771 of 2,469) and from 32.6 percent (976 of 2,997) to 39.5 percent (1,135 of 2,871), respectively.

Lapchick had some concerns when it comes to gender hiring at the team level Authentic Martin Kaut Jersey , a category which dropped for the third straight year.

The percentage of women decreased for team vice presidents and team professional staff. Women who held team vice president positions made up 23.5 percent (137 of 583), a slight decrease from last year’s study. The percentage of women in team professional staff positions decreased by 2.9 percentage points from 40.1 percent (1,202 of 2,997) in to 37.2 percent (1,068 of 2,871).

”It’s something we are keeping an eye on,” Lapchick said. ”In men’s sports in general gender hiring is a major concern.”

However, Lapchick said the NBA still outpaces other leagues in gender hiring.

Despite those slight drop-offs in gender hiring, Lapchick called Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA the ”industry leaders” among all men’s professional sports leagues in overall racial and gender hiring practices.



Memphis Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes he can make the franchise competitive immediately with a quick recovery from a 60-loss season.

That’s what his boss expects as well.

”We’re going into it with an optimistic view and we’re planning on success http://www.bearsauthorizedshops.com/...gbuniwe-jersey ,” Bickerstaff said Wednesday, one day after having the interim tag removed from his title . ”We’re planning on a playoff run. There’s no doubt about it.”

The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Bickerstaff would remain their head coach after he worked the last 63 games of Memphis’ 2017-18 season on an interim basis. Bickerstaff began the 2017-18 season as an associate head coach on the staff of David Fizdale, who was fired in late November .

Memphis went 15-48 under Bickerstaff and finished the season 22-60 , posting the second-worst record in the NBA and ending a string of seven straight playoff appearances. General manager Chris Wallace said he was encouraged by Bickerstaff’s approach during a season derailed by injuries.

”You learn a great deal about people in adversity, much more than watching them while they’re winning,” Wallace said. ”J.B. was given a very difficult task this year when he took over as interim head coach and guided us through some very choppy waters. He kept the team together through very difficult times.”

Wallace also noted the Grizzlies shouldn’t have similar struggles next season.

Veteran guard Mike Conley should be healthy again after injuries to his left heel and Achilles tendon caused him to play just 12 games this year. Memphis’ poor performance this season also assures the Grizzlies an early pick in the NBA draft to join a nucleus that includes Conley and 33-year-old center Marc Gasol.

”Starting next year, we want to get back in the playoffs again and be a relevant team that’s pushing to win the Western Conference and go on,” Wallace said. ”We think we’re well equipped to get back in again. We get Mike Conley healthy. Marc Gasol still has many good years in front of him. We’ve got a number of young players that have come on to develop. We’re going to have a top-five pick. We’re going to be able to use a midlevel exception.

”We’ve got a lot of tools to work with, and a lot of the heavy lifting has already been done.”

Bickerstaff Ryan Jensen Color Rush Jersey , 39, is happy to have an entire offseason to prepare for his assignment, a luxury he didn’t have in his previous head coaching stints.

He went 37-34 as the Houston Rockets’ interim coach in 2015-16 after Kevin McHale was fired. Then came the interim assignment with Memphis this season. Now he finally gets all the advantages that come with starting a season as a head coach.

”You truly can’t imagine how free and open and clear my mind is now because you have an opportunity to prepare,” said Bickerstaff, the son of former longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff. ”You truly can’t imagine how free and open and clear my mind is now because you have an opportunity to prepare. In any situation that you’re going into, especially a high-pressure situation, the most important thing you want to do is have a moment to chart out your journey.”

Bickerstaff said Conley and Gasol give the Grizzlies a pair of ”All-Star-caliber bookends” that make Memphis’ roster different from the typical lottery team. Bickerstaff also praised the way forward JaMychal Green has established himself in the NBA and noted the way younger players such as Jarell Martin, Andrew Harrison and Dillon Brooks developed during a trying season.

He expects Conley to come back with something to prove after an injury-riddled season.

”People have kind of forgotten just how good Mike really is,” Bickerstaff said.

Bickerstaff Bickerstaff hopes the ball-handling abilities of Harrison Jeremy Kerley Color Rush Jersey , MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden and Chandler Parsons could enable Conley to play off the ball on occasion next season. Parsons has dealt with his own injury issues, as he’s played a total of 70 games in two seasons with Memphis.

”We’d like to put (Conley) in more situations where he’s a secondary ball handler or a secondary playmaker, and the defense has shifted and all 10 eyes defensively aren’t just keyed in on him,” Bickerstaff said.



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