The NBA continues to set the standard for the industry as the leader on issues related to race and gender hiring practices. As the 2010 Racial and Gender Report Card shows, the National Basketball Association had the best grade among the men’s leagues for race and gender, as it has for two decades.

The NBA had an A for race, and an A‐ for gender for a combined A.

Based on the total points used in the weighted scales, the NBA earned its highest grade ever for gender at 89.1 (up from its previous high of 89 points). The NBA grade for race was 93.8 which, while down from the 2009 Report when it was 94.9, was still higher than any other sport in the history of the Racial and Gender Report Card. The NBA again received men’s pro sports only A for a combined grade for race and gender with a record combined point total of 91.5.

In last year’s report, the NBA had an A+ for race, a B+/A‐ for gender and a combined A.

Richard Lapchick, the Director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) and primary author of the report, noted that “As he has since becoming the NBA Commissioner in 1984, David Stern has taken the lead on diversity issues in sport. In the NBA League Office, 36 percent of the professional positions are held by people of color, while women held 44 percent of the professional positions. Both are higher than any other men’s professional league in any previous Report Card. David Stern continues to set the standard.”

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida publishes the Racial and Gender Report Card to indicate areas of improvement, stagnation and regression in the racial and gender composition of professional and college sports personnel and to contribute to the improvement of integration in front office and college athletics department positions. Each year the NBA has made progress in almost all categories examined for both race and gender.

Report Highlights

• In the NBA, 82 percent of the players were people of color, remaining constant from last year’s totals. This ties the highest percentage of players of color since the 1994‐95 season. The percentage of African‐American players also remained constant from last year’s report at 77 percent. The percentage of Latinos and Asians remained constant, at three and one percent respectively. The percentage of international players stayed steady as well at 18 percent.
  
  
• Professional opportunities for people of color in the NBA League Offices – at 36 percent – increased from 35 percent for the 2008‐09 season. This is the highest percentage in the NBA’s history, and the highest in the history of any professional sport.
  
  
• Women held 44 percent of the professional positions in the NBA League Office. This increased by one percentage point from the previous Report Card, and was higher than any other men’s professional league in any previous Report Card, though still below the NBA’s high of 49 percent female professionals in the league office in 1995‐96.
  
  
• There were 34 women in vice president positions in the NBA League Office during the 2009‐10 NBA season, which is an increase of three.
  
  
• Michael Jordan, who owns the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, is men’s pro sports only African‐American team majority owner. He succeeded Robert Johnson, previous owner of the Bobcats.
  
  
• There were one Asian and eight African‐American head coaches at the beginning of the 2009‐10 NBA season. The percentage of head coaches of color dropped from 40 percent in 2008‐09 to 30 percent.
  
  
• 41 percent of assistant coaches in the NBA were coaches of color.
  
  
• While there were small decreases for people of color in key team positions, the NBA was still the best in men’s pro sport for team presidents, senior administrative and professional administrative positions.
  
  
• At the beginning of the 2009‐10 regular season, there were four (12 percent) African‐American presidents in the NBA. While it was a decrease from last year’s total of five, it was still the best for any sport.
  
  
• The percentage of people of color holding NBA team senior administrative positions decreased by two percentage points from last season to less than 21 percent.
  
  
• The percentage of people of color holding team professional administrative positions dropped by two percentage points to 27 percent. The percentage of women holding these posts dropped from 40 percent to 39 percent.
  
  
• As of the end of the 2009‐10 season, 56 percent of the NBA’s referees were White, 41 percent were African‐American and three percent were Latino. Of the 60 referees, one was a woman.