Full Breakdown
Kathy Behrens to Leave NBA After 26-Year Tenure, Citing New Chapter
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs Kathy Behrens announced she will depart the NBA league office at the end of the calendar year, ending a 26-year career that began with her hiring in 2000. The decision was communicated to staff in early October 2026, and Behrens said she plans to focus on consulting work in sports impact and philanthropy, as well as remain on the University of Hartford Board of Regents.
02
Career Overview and Key Initiatives
Behrens entered the NBA after serving as executive director of the nonprofit New York Cares and meeting then-Commissioner David Stern, Russ Granik and Adam Silver in a “final interview” that she described as “heaven-like.” Charged with expanding the league’s community outreach, she launched NBA Cares in 2005, a program that has logged more than 6.5 million volunteer hours and generated “hundreds of millions of dollars” for charitable groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic she oversaw the creation of the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. In 2007 she co-founded NBA Green, an environmental initiative aimed at halving the league’s carbon footprint by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2040; venues such as the Intuit Dome and Golden 1 Center have been early adopters.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
Data & Statistics
- Volunteer Hours: > 6.5 million (NBA Cares)
- Financial Contributions: “Hundreds of millions of dollars” to community groups (NBA Cares)
- Staff Oversight: Approximately 45 employees across Social Impact, Inclusion, the NBA Foundation, and the Social Justice Coalition (SBJ)
04
Official Statements & Responses
The memo also noted her role in making basketball a vehicle for social improvement.
NBA executive David Weiss, EVP of Operations & Administration, will assume reporting responsibility for the departments Behrens led. League officials indicated that NBA Cares and NBA Green will continue under Weiss’s oversight without substantive changes.
05
Verbatim Quotes
- “Last year I celebrated my 25th year at the NBA and my kids went off to college and I’ve spent the last year thinking about how it’s such a hard place to leave because it’s been just an incredible experience,” — Kathy Behrens
- “Kathy has supported generations of players in navigating the demands of their careers, developing interests beyond basketball and preparing for life after the game,” — Adam Silver, commissioner
- “To me, David was sort of like the Mario Cuomo of the sports world,” — Kathy Behrens
- “There was such buy-in from the top, from all my colleagues and from frankly the teams and players,” — Kathy Behrens
- “In her role, Kathy goes from dealing with NBA owners, to superstar players, to team executives, to political leaders -- and she has the unique ability to connect and be respected by all,” — RICK WELTS, the Mavs’ CEO
06
What's Next
Behrens plans to remain active on the University of Hartford Board of Regents and to provide consulting services in the sports-impact and philanthropy sectors. She indicated that the NBA’s community-program infrastructure will stay on course under Weiss’s leadership, suggesting continuity for NBA Cares, NBA Green, and related social-justice initiatives.