Veteran Sports Executive & NBA Leadership Expert; Former CEO at Dallas Mavericks & Golden State Warriors; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
Rick Welts Biography
Rick Welts is an executive in professional sports with a career spanning nearly five decades at the highest levels of the NBA. A native of Seattle, Welts began his NBA career at age 16 as a ball boy for the Seattle SuperSonics and later served as the team's director of media relations during their NBA championship season. That early experience led to a lifelong career in the business of basketball and set the stage for his rise through the ranks of the sport.
Welts was hired at the NBA by David Stern, two years before Stern was named NBA commissioner. From 1996 to 1999, he served as the third-highest-ranking official in the NBA as its executive vice president and chief marketing officer. During his tenure at the league office, his accomplishments included the creation of NBA All-Star Weekend and the marketing program for USA Basketball for the Olympic "Dream Team" in Barcelona. Together with WNBA President Val Ackerman, Welts was named Marketer of the Year by Brandweek for his role in creating and launching the WNBA. His non-NBA experience includes serving as president of Fox Sports Enterprises during Fox's ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Welts served as the president and chief executive officer of the Phoenix Suns and later joined the Golden State Warriors, where he served as president and chief operating officer. During his tenure with the Warriors, the team reached the NBA Finals in five consecutive years and won three NBA championships. Welts also oversaw the development and opening of Chase Center, a major sports and entertainment arena. Under his leadership, the Warriors became the first professional team to win Sports Business Journal's "Sports Team of the Year" award on multiple occasions.
The Dallas Mavericks named Welts CEO, making him the first executive in league history to serve as president or CEO of three different NBA teams. Welts is also the only NBA team president or CEO to lead organizations that have won championships across all three NBA-affiliated leagues: the NBA, WNBA, and G League. He became the first openly gay executive inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognized for his work and leadership. Welts made history as the highest-ranking executive in men's professional team sports to publicly come out as gay, further establishing his influence as a leader in sports business and diversity. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and serves on its Board of Governors. Welts is recognized for his expertise in leadership, authenticity, and building winning cultures within the sports industry.
Rick Welts Videos
-
How do I book Rick Welts to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rick Welts for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rick Welts, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rick Welts or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Rick Welts
Speaking fees for Rick Welts, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rick Welts are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rick Welts, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Rick Welts speak about?
Rick Welts is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Athlete, Basketball, Business Consulting, Business Leadership, Civil Rights, LGBTQ, Social Activism, Sports -
Where does Rick Welts travel from?
Rick Welts generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Rick Welts’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Rick Welts for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rick Welts for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rick Welts or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Rick Welts is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Rick Welts for your event is available upon request. Rick Welts generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jennifer Azzi, Byron Perkins, Josh Dixon, Dr. Elijah Nicholas and Fabrice Houdart. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rick Welts for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








