The L.A. Clippers have named Lee Jenkins Executive Director of Research and Identity, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations, Lawrence Frank. Jenkins, one of the most decorated and respected journalists in sports, joins the Clippers after working for 11 years at Sports Illustrated as the publication’s lead NBA feature writer.
In this new position, the first of its kind for any NBA team, Jenkins will use his extensive reporting background and unique interviewing style to contribute to the franchise’s amateur and professional scouting infrastructure, as well as help to enhance the Clipper experience.
“Lee has spent his career profiling elite athletes, including most of the top players in the NBA,” said Frank. “Given Lee’s talent, knowledge, and credibility, we hope to blend his approach with our existing evaluation systems and highlight the personalities of our players. He is the NBA’s preeminent storyteller and adding him to the team is a reflection of Steve’s commitment to innovation and building a best-in-class organization.”
At SI, Jenkins has written more than 70 cover stories for the world’s most renowned sports publication. In 2017, he was named the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation’s Journalist of the Year and won the Deadline Club’s award for prestige in sports writing. Jenkins is featured in this year’s edition of The Best American Sports Writing. Before joining SI in 2007, he spent four years at the New York Times, and before that the Orange County Register.
“Throughout my career, I have consistently written stories about teams that win, and when you trace their course back to the beginning, the end seems almost inevitable,” said Jenkins. “The Clippers are in L.A. with Steve, Lawrence, Doc Rivers and Jerry West. They have a plan to create the ultimate environment for their players. As a writer, I ask questions from a variety of angles and assemble information in different ways, until a portrait of a person emerges. I am eager to bring that same process to the Clippers organization and add to their incredible team of evaluators and analysts. This team has the tools to build one of the great sports stories, and I’m excited to contribute.”
A native of San Diego, Calif., Jenkins is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.
