At the end of the 2020-21 season, a vital piece of the Golden State Warriors’ run to three championships is set to retire. After a 46 year decorated career in the NBA, the Warriors president and COO Rick Welts will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Welts joined the Warriors in 2011 after stints with the Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns. Welts also spent 17 years with the NBA as a league executive.
Along with making a noted impact around the association, Welts broke personal barriers across sports. In 2011, Welts became the highest-ranking executive in men’s sports to acknowledge he is gay.
During his 10 year run in the Bay Area, Welts helped oversee Golden State’s three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Welts was a centerpiece in the franchise’s transition from Oakland’s Oracle Arena to San Francisco’s new Chase Center.
Via @WarriorsPR on Twitter:
Golden State Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts will step away from his role with the organization at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. Welts, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, has spent nearly five decades in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/y2zvJ9t9wm
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 8, 2021
As a league executive with the NBA, Welts played a role in promoting and marketing the 1992 USA men’s Olympic “Dream Team” and the WNBA. Welts is credited with helping develop the idea for NBA All-Star weekend. In 2018, Welts was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
After the 2020-21 season, Welts will stay with the Warriors as an advisor. Golden State is expected to name a new president over the next week.
