By Anthony Council
After almost seven years as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Cynt Marshall officially passed the baton to Rick Welts who was announced Wednesday afternoon as the franchise’s new CEO. Welts will take the reins of the franchise January 1, 2025. Marshall will retire at the end of this month.
“The chance to lead this organization in this city at this time is both incredibly exciting and unexpected,” said Welts. “I appreciate Patrick’s confidence in selecting me to build upon the culture and success that Cynt Marshall and Nico Harrison have created. My long-standing friendships with them both give me a lot of confidence in accepting this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started learning all I can about Dallas and how best to serve our fans and this community.”
Welts was joined at the press conference by Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont, and Marshall, who was the first Black female CEO in the history of the NBA when she was hired by former Mavs owner Mark Cuban in February of 2018. Both Dumont and Marshall praised Welts’ extensive experience in building successful teams and cultures and expressed their confidence in his ability to guide the Mavericks to continued success.
“Inspiring leadership has been a staple of the Dallas Mavericks since Cynt Marshall started leading the organization in 2018 as CEO. I’m extremely proud that her legacy of success and our family’s vision for the future of this franchise will soon be in the hands of another great leader,” said Dumont. “Rick Welts is among the most successful executives in the history of the NBA and a member of the Hall of Fame. To have him join us as we continue to build on the successful history of the Mavericks is a clear signal that this organization is serious about both growing its position as an elite NBA team and further positioning the franchise among the most popular sports teams in the world.”
Welts’ Career Journey
Welts is a seasoned NBA executive who has been around the league for some time. In his 46-year career in sports and entertainment, Welts has previously held roles as President and COO of the Golden State Warriors from 2011 to 2021 where he played a pivotal role in helping the team become a dominant force both on and off the court, winning three NBA championships and establishing a global fan base. His leadership extended beyond basketball, with significant contributions to the Warriors’ business strategy, community engagement, and innovative marketing approaches. He was also previously President of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, and the NBA’s Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President of NBA Properties.
Marshall symbolically handed Rick Welts the baton, reflecting on her time with the Mavericks and sharing an inspiring message about the franchise’s future:
“Many runners, one team—ready, set, go!”
Vision for the Mavericks
Welts shared his ambitious vision for the Mavericks, emphasizing the team’s potential for global growth. Reflecting on his long career in the NBA, Welts expressed his excitement about his future with the Mavericks:
“Over the next 20 years, I see the most unbelievable growth opportunity for basketball. I see a global opportunity for basketball that doesn’t exist in other sports,” Welts said.
He then discussed the “strength in numbers” philosophy, which guided the Warriors’ success. Welts recalled how this approach was developed under coach Steve Kerr and became fundamental to the Warriors’ achievements
“What that meant was that everybody, it didn’t matter what your job was, you had a role in the success of the franchise. If you weren’t doing your job well, we weren’t going to do as well. And that applied to the 11th and 12th guy on the bench. That applied to everybody in the business organization too,” he said.
Welts stressed that this mindset is essential for the Mavericks’ success moving forward:
“Basketball and business operations working hand and glove together to really maximize the opportunity that this thing has.”
Welts on Diversity and Inclusion
When asked about bringing diversity and inclusivity into the Mavericks organization, Welts shared his appreciation for the current culture, saying, “I think the table has been set beautifully.” Reflecting on the staff meeting he attended, he continued, “I looked around the room today, and I liked what I saw.”
Welts explained that his approach to diversity goes beyond being a social strategy; it’s about driving better business results. “I’m a big believer in this,” he said. “If you have people of the same background sitting around the table talking to each other, you don’t have the richness of experience and conversation. You get the best ideas from people who approach the day in a different way.”
He emphasized that diversity is essential for tapping into the best ideas and understanding the diverse perspectives of the customer base. “It’s not a social strategy, it’s a business strategy,” Welts stated. “You get better business results when you’re really tapping into people who represent the customer base – the fan base – and really try to understand different points of view.”
The Joy of the Game
One of the biggest points Welts highlighted was the importance of the joy of the game. Reflecting on his time with the Warriors, he credited the success of the franchise to the passion and joy that everyone involved had for the game:
“The joy of playing the game and presenting something that actually can make a difference in all of life in the community—that’s why I’m here.”
Lessons Learned from Cynt Marshall
When asked about the lessons he learned from Marshall in taking on the job, Welts said:
“You can empower people to bring our authentic souls to work and know that their contribution is gonna make a difference in the bigger picture outcome. And I think once people believe that and once they know that what they’re doing is important to the success of the organization, then it’s appreciated and that it’s celebrated.
“I think you have a lot of very motivated people trying to get the franchise in the right place. I think that, you know, I’m at the, you know, worshipping, you know, her leadership in this respect because I think that’s what has been demonstrated in Dallas, and again, I think that goes way beyond the Mavericks.”
