The NBA's Golden State Warriors have named Rick Welts as the San Francisco-based team's president and chief operating officer, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Welts came out when serving as the president of the Phoenix Suns earlier this year, leaving the team recently to relocate to be with his partner.
Co-owner Joe Lacob told the San Francisco Chronicle:
Rick is simply one of the most highly regarded executives in the NBA, and his accomplishments at both the team and league levels are extremely impressive. His track record in all facets of the business - sponsorship, marketing, public relations, event management, team services, merchandising - and his ability to be strategically creative and cutting-edge make him the ideal candidate to lead our organization. Quite honestly, I'm convinced that we could not have found a better candidate for the job.
OutSports writer Cyd Zeigler Jr. notes:
This is big, people. It’s another sign of the eroding homophobia in sports. It was one thing for Welts to come out. But to leave his job and then be quickly hired by the one team in the specific area he was moving to is an incredibly loud statement.
