Fans may recognize him as the master of ceremonies for the second round of the NBA Draft, but Mark Tatum bears much more responsibility within the League than that. As deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, Tatum is the second-highest ranking executive in the NBA.
Tatum also embodies the diversity the League strives to embrace. With African-American and Asian-American heritage, the double Ivy League graduate is the NBA’s highest ranking executive of minority descent, too.
“I work for an organization that truly celebrates diversity and inclusion,” he shared in an exclusive interview with Kings.com. “I work in an environment where race isn’t a barrier to being given opportunities.”
While proud of the position he holds, he notes there are other high-ranking executives of color in the League.
Like an encyclopedia, he rattled them off. He mentioned President of Basketball Operations Byron Spruell, WNBA President Lisa Borders, D-League President Malcolm Turner, NBA Chief Marketing Officer Pam El and many more.
The NBA truly commemorates and observes diversity, which is important to the future success of the League. There are many initiatives that celebrate growth in its teams, its offices, and also the community.
One of the most diverse organizations in the NBA happens to be found right here in Sacramento. With a majority owner of Indian descent and diverse leadership across both business and basketball operations, the Kings are spearheading the influx of dynamic thinking.
The organization is turning heads in the League office and the growth the organization has experienced has not gone unnoticed. Many of the reasons are familiar to Kings fans. The opening of Golden 1 Center, its technology, and its environmental consciousness make it one of the model buildings in the NBA.
The boon it has provided Downtown Sacramento and its effort to keep business local has also impressed on a national scale. These are just a few of the many features Tatum lauded the franchise for leading.
With 113 international players from 41 different countries, the NBA has become more diverse than ever through Tatum’s leadership. Being the best basketball League in the world, it brings together people from every corner of the globe, regardless of race, ethnicity or beliefs.
“The game has never been better,” Tatum said. "The amount of talent—global talent—that comes into the League makes us better.”
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