Rick Welts
{{Short description|National Basketball Association executive}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Rick Welts
| image = Rick Welts 20191201-8435.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| team = Dallas Mavericks
| position = CEO
| league = NBA
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|01|21}}
| birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S.
| nationality =
| high_school =
| college = University of Washington
| highlights =
- 5× NBA champion ({{nbafy|1979}}, {{nbafy|2015}}, {{nbafy|2017}}, {{nbafy|2018}}, {{nbafy|2022}})
}}
Rick Welts (born January 21, 1953){{cite web|url=http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/rick-welts/|title=Rick Welts|publisher=Basketball Hall of Fame|access-date=January 11, 2020}} is an American sports executive who is the chief executive officer for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Welts had also served as the president and chief executive officer of the Phoenix Suns from July 2002 until September 9, 2011. He was the president of the Golden State Warriors from 2011 until 2021 and stayed with the team as an advisor until 2024. From 1996 to 1999, he was the third-highest-ranking official in the NBA as its executive vice president and chief marketing officer.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/sports/basketball/nba-executive-says-he-is-gay.html?pagewanted=all|title=N.B.A. Executive Dares to Leave the Safety of His Shadow Life|work=The New York Times|date=May 15, 2011|author=Dan Barry|author-link=Dan Barry (reporter)}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/suns/news/bio_welts.html|title=SUNS: Rick Welts Bio|publisher=Phoenix Suns/NBA|access-date=May 18, 2011}}
Biography
Born in Seattle, Washington, Welts attended the University of Washington where he joined the Delta Chi fraternity.
He worked for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1969 to 1979 in various capacities, from an initial stint as a ballboy to director of public relations when the SuperSonics won their (to date) only NBA Championship in 1979.
Welts later worked at the NBA's league offices from 1982 to 1999, eventually rising to the positions of executive vice president, chief marketing officer and president of NBA Properties. During this time, he was credited with the creation of the NBA All-Star Weekend concept in 1984 and, as the agent for USA Basketball, the marketing campaign for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics "Dream Team." He was named Brandweek's 1998 Marketer of the Year for his work with WNBA President Val Ackerman in launching the WNBA.
On May 15, 2011, Welts publicly came out as gay in an interview with The New York Times. He is the first prominent American sports executive to come out and be openly gay.{{cite news|url=http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/17/nba-executive-rick-welts-comes-out-gay/|title=NBA executive Rick Welts comes out as gay|publisher=CNN|date=May 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522003701/http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/17/nba-executive-rick-welts-comes-out-gay/|archive-date=May 22, 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/29368676|title=Barkley: 'Every player has played with gay guys'|work=CBS Sports|date=May 17, 2011|author=Ben Golliver}}{{cite news|url=http://valleyofthesuns.com/2011/05/15/phoenix-suns-president-rick-welts-announces-hes-gay/|title=Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts announces he's gay|work=Valley of the Suns|date=May 15, 2011|author=Mike Schmitz}}{{cite news|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/702685-rick-welts-why-suns-president-coming-out-was-the-right-risk-to-take|title=Rick Welts: Why Suns President Coming out Was the Right Risk to Take|work=Bleacher Report|date=May 16, 2011|author=Sam Westmoreland}}{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=6553603|title=Suns prez Rick Welts reveals he's gay|publisher=ESPN|date=May 15, 2011}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2071898,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521003038/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2071898,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 21, 2011|title=Rick Welts, Phoenix Suns CEO, on Why He Came Out|magazine=Time|date=May 17, 2011|author=Sean Gregory}}{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/05/16/136368712/head-of-phoenix-suns-says-hes-gay|title=Head of Phoenix Suns Says He's Gay|publisher=NPR|date=May 16, 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2011/05/16/2011-05-16_phoenix_suns_president_rick_welts_announces_hes_gay_to_inspire_young_athletes_su.html?r=news|title=Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts announces he's gay to inspire young athletes suffering in silence|work=New York Daily News|date=May 16, 2011|author=Joanna Malloy}} Welts is a member of the advisory board for You Can Play, a campaign dedicated to fighting homophobia in sports.{{cite web|title=Staff and Board|url=http://youcanplayproject.org/pages/staff-and-board|publisher=You Can Play Project|access-date=June 12, 2012}}
Welts's first partner, whom he had met in a Seattle restaurant in 1977, died in March 1994 due to AIDS. Welts ran one obituary in Seattle that suggested anyone who wanted to make a remembrance could write a check to the University of Washington architectural school, his partner's major.[https://theathletic.com/1502570/2020/01/01/he-made-the-lamps-rattle-remembering-david-stern-in-all-his-momentous-bluster/ He made the lamps rattle: Remembering David Stern, in all his momentous bluster] Welts was in another relationship from 1995 to 2009, which ended in part because of Welts' requirement that their relationship be hidden from public view.
On September 9, 2011, Welts announced he was resigning his position with the Suns in order to relocate to northern California and live with his new partner there.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/6948156/phoenix-suns-president-ceo-rick-welts-resigns |title=Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts resigns|work=ESPN |date=September 10, 2011 |access-date=November 2, 2013}} A few weeks later, Welts signed on as team president for the Warriors.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/7028228/executive-rick-welts-ready-help-lead-golden-state-warriors-back-winning |title=Executive Rick Welts ready to help lead Golden State Warriors back to winning - ESPN |work=ESPN |date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=November 2, 2013}} During his tenure, his leadership would help turn the Warriors into a perennial contender, winning three out of five championships from 2015 to 2019. On March 31, 2018, it was announced Welts would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
On January 10, 2020, Welts married Todd Gage, his partner of nine years, at San Francisco City Hall. The ceremony was officiated by mayor London Breed.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-president-rick-welts-weds-partner-ceremony-sf-city-hall|title=Warriors president Rick Welts weds partner in ceremony at SF City Hall|first=Ali|last=Thanawalla| publisher=NBC Sorts|date=January 10, 2020|access-date=January 11, 2020}}
On April 8, 2021, Welts announced that he would step away from his position with the Warriors at the end of the season, but would remain as advisor for the team.{{cite web|title=Warriors President & COO Rick Welts to step away at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season|url=https://www.nba.com/news/rick-welts-to-step-away-after-season|work=NBA.com|date=April 8, 2021|access-date=April 8, 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.nba.com/suns/news/bio_welts.html Official biography from the Phoenix Suns]
- [https://pursuethepassion.com/mindful-marketing/ Rick Welts Interview], Pursue The Passion, October 5, 2007.
{{2018 Basketball HOF}}
{{Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame}}
{{Golden State Warriors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welts, Rick}}
Category:Businesspeople from Seattle
Category:Golden State Warriors executives
Category:American LGBTQ businesspeople
Category:LGBTQ people from Washington (state)
Category:American gay sportsmen
Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Category:NBA league office executives
Category:Phoenix Suns executives
Category:Seattle SuperSonics personnel