The Golden State Warriors have agreed to multi-year contract extensions for President & Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts and President of Basketball Operations / General Manager Bob Myers, the team announced today.
The Warriors have experienced unprecedented success in both business and basketball operations under the leadership of Welts and Myers, capturing three NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018), becoming the first team to appear in five consecutive NBA Finals since the Boston Celtics did so 53 years ago (1957-66) and earning the coveted Sports Business Journal’s “Sports Team of the Year” Award in both 2014 and 2016.
“We feel that Rick and Bob are two of the best leaders in professional sports and, quite honestly, in any line of business,” said Warriors Co-Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob. “Their vision, creativity and humility are characteristics that have enabled the Warriors, and them personally, to accomplish terrific heights in this business. These extensions reflect those achievements. We’re extremely grateful for their contributions and are proud that they will continue to lead our organization as we move into Chase Center.”
Welts owns over 40 years of experience in the NBA, including the last eight seasons as president & chief operating officer of the Warriors. One of the most respected business executives in the league, Welts was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2018, highlighting a career that includes a 17-year stint with the league office and previous stops with the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics. As president & COO, Welts reports to directly to Co-Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob and Co-Chairman Peter Guber, overseeing all business-related operations for the Warriors. Most recently, Welts has played an instrumental role in the development of Chase Center, a privately-financed sports and entertainment center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood set to open this fall.
Myers recently completed his eighth season as general manager of the Warriors and third with the additional title of president of basketball operations. Myers was recognized as the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2014-15 and 2016-17, the first executive in Warriors history to earn the accolade on multiple occasions and one of only five in league history to earn the honor twice in a span of three seasons. Myers reports directly to Co-Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob and oversees the entire basketball operations department on a day-to-day basis. He has helped build a team that has produced the best six-year run in the history of the NBA record-wise (373-119, .758).
