Age: 37
New title: Vice president of basketball operations/player development, NBA Development League
Previous job: NBA player
First job: Working in an upholstery shop
Education: Bachelor of arts, finance (1990), Georgia Southern University; master’s of science, sport management (2002), Virginia Commonwealth University
Resides: Atlanta
Grew up: Augusta, Ga.
Executive most admired: Jerry Colangelo, chairman and chief executive officer, Phoenix Suns
Brand most admired: Microsoft
Favorite vacation spot: Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas
Last book read: “The Purpose-Driven Life” by Rick Warren
Favorite movie: “Goodfellas”
As a former player in the NBA, the minor leagues and Europe, Michael Curry knows firsthand about the pressures that basketball players experience. Curry thinks that, as the NBA Development League’s new vice president of basketball operations and player development, he will be able to help players adjust to the lifestyle. His main responsibility is to supervise all league programs designed to help develop players both on and off the court, including education, skills training and community involvement.
What will be the biggest challenge in your new position?
Selling everyone on your vision is always the biggest challenge that you have in a new position.
What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?
I don’t take many risks! I think the biggest risk I have taken in my career was turning down a lucrative contract when I was playing in Europe just for a tryout in the NBA. That was really a risk because I was making a lot of money playing overseas but I had a desire to make it to the NBA and it turned out well for me.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
Being elected president of the NBA players association.
What is one element that you would like to change about the sports industry?
The overreporting of negative events. I think for every negative event, there are 10 other events you (the media) could report on that the fans would be happy to find out about. An example would be that in the NFL, the entire preseason was spent talking about the Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb situation and no one talked about anything else, so no other story lines were developed. Anyone who has been involved as a player in sports knew that the situation would be all right.
What areas are you concentrating on in helping the players off the court?
We want to help them with planning for both during their careers and after their careers. Your career goes by really fast, so it is important to plan for the things that you want to do when you leave the game.
