On Wednesday the Dallas Mavericks formally announced the hiring of Rick Welts as their new Chief Executive Officer replacing Cynt Marshall who is stepping down.
In the Press Conference, Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont explained exactly why the Mavs hired Rick Welts. They intend to build a new “home” for the Mavericks.
Dumont was clear that his conversations to bring in Wetls included “a lot about future investments in the Dallas Mavericks and in a new home” and that “our goal is to build the best facility for the Dallas Mavericks… something that really defines what NBA basketball can present.” He continued on to say that he considers building something and transforming a community very special.
Welts was integral to the Golden State Warriors’ effort to build the state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Fransisco and he discussed how difficult it was to complete. The Mavs clearly intend to use that expertise to help build their new stadium, which has been rumored since Mark Cuban sold the team to Dumont and Miriam Adelson.
When Welts was asked how winning follows him everywhere he goes he replied “I’d like to announce we’re going to run The Triangle” which was hilarious but also a metaphor for working together with the Front Office. Welts says the 3 Factors for team success are “Ownership, Ownership, Ownership.” A big endorsement of Dumont and what the Mavs have built before the ownership change. Welts had stepped away from his full-time
role with the Warriors, he didn’t have to come back and wouldn’t come to a team where he didn’t think they could succeed.
Here are some things to know about Rick Welts...
He has 46 years of experience as an NBA Executive
- 1969-79 Seattle Supersonics
- 1982-99 NBA League Office
- 2002-11 Phoenix Suns
- 2011-21 Golden State Warriors
- He is credited for creating All-Star Weekend, the marketing campaign for the Dream Team, and helped launch the WNBA
- He is in the Hall of Fame as an Executive, Class of 2018, in the same class as Mavs Head Coach Jason Kidd
Other notes and notable quotes from the Press Conference...
- Cynt Marshall said he was one of the first people to email her when she became Mavs President and has been a supporter of her.
- Rick Welts: “Joy is a big part of [success]... playing the game and of presenting something that actually can make a difference in the quality of life in a community”
- Rick: “[Inclusivity] is not a social strategy it’s a business strategy” This was a great insight on a question about diversity and why you need multiple voices from different backgrounds in the room to make decisions.
- Rick: “It’s about always telling the truth, being a good community partner, doing what you say you’re going to do, and treating people the right way. If you do that anywhere you’re going to have a likelihood of success”
- Cynt literally passed a baton to him in the presser. They had given out these to everyone in the Mavs that said “many runners, one team… ready, set, go”
Today’s Episode of Locked On Mavericks focused on the Mavs Defense, why they’re a Top 10 defense, and how they could become an elite defense
