The NBA has officially hired executives Malik Rose and David Booth as vice presidents of basketball operations, the league announced today in a press release.
According to the NBA, Rose and Booth – who both begin today and will report to president of league operations Byron Spruell – will be “responsible for interfacing directly with teams and players regarding league programs, rules, new initiatives, and competitive elements.”
Both Rose and Booth previously worked in team front offices. Rose recently left his position as an assistant general manager for the Pistons, while Booth had been the director of player personnel for the Pelicans from 2014-19. Rose and Booth each played professional basketball as well, though Booth spent his playing career in international leagues rather than the NBA.
Rose and Booth were hired after an “extensive” search and interview process, Spruell told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Probably BLM hires for NBA minorities not white.
Also, this from the link: “Other job duties include broadening and growing a working relationship with NBA teams under the “respect for the game” rules announced in 2010 that offer players guidelines for permissible reactions to the referees. Moreover, the two African American men will work on all game-focused topics with teams.”
Seems like a long time wait after making the rules, to hire someone to oversee them, if it really was necessary to do so. Which it’s not–Officials have the power to make players stop going nuts over calls, but they rarely do anything. It shouldn’t be about someone from the league office talking players out of complaining.
Officials also bring problems along by not allowing dissent after close calls, while allowing it after obvious calls. Thus, players are often seen waving their arms after calls which they know should be obvious calls. This might be changing though, with all the new refs.
Also, it may be that Silver feels disconnected from grass-roots activity away from certain conference rooms at NY headquarters. But I’m really guessing now.