Mark Tatum, the NBA’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, recently joined our #exceltogether Speaker Series for an engaging conversation moderated by Emilio Collins, Partner and Chief Business Officer at Excel, and a longtime colleague of Tatum. Discussion points ranged from current industry trends, growing basketball both domestically and internationally, the rising prominence of the WNBA, and the league’s unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Tatum began by bringing listeners back to the beginning of his journey – a young kid in Brooklyn with a passion for sports. Dedication has always been a major part of Tatum’s life, and he discussed how he would prepare for each baseball season to ensure he was positioning himself for his best effort and success. That dedication still stays true today, as Tatum leaned on those similar practices he used as a young baseball player to build himself into the visionary leader he is now.

Always looking to brainstorm ways to drive league growth, the NBA introduced its inaugural In-Season Tournament. Tatum discussed how this idea came to be, and how it will help the league grow and build on a new asset. Shortly after this speaker series call with Tatum, the NBA saw record viewership numbers during the In-Season final between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indianapolis Pacers.

When discussing expansion, Tatum noted that he and commissioner Adam Silver are always exploring potential options, and growth of the game is a top priority. When diving into the topic of growing basketball beyond its North American borders, he shared insights on the NBA’s efforts to continue investing resources, as well as playing games, in countries all over Europe.

While brainstorming methods to grow the NBA is what usually occupies Tatum and his team’s minds, he has been thrilled to see the momentum the WNBA has built recently in the last handful of years. Fresh off its 27^th season in which the league experienced record viewership and attendance records, Tatum discussed how important the WNBA growing in popularity has been in grabbing the attention of the entire country – from fans, media and corporate decision makers. One of the most exciting parts of the WNBA’s success for Tatum is hearing from family, friends and players that their daughters watch every night with hopes of one day lacing up their shoes in front of packed arenas.

Diversity and inclusion were other topics that Tatum shared insight on – discussing how the NBA has been active in donating hundreds of millions of dollars towards creating more economic opportunities among diverse communities, as well as the league’s emphasis on creating an inclusive environment for everyone to cheer on their favorite teams and players.

Throughout the conversation, Tatum exuded the NBA’s eagerness to continue implementing ways to engage audiences all over the world and create valuable investment assets.

The #exceltogether Speaker Series is a quarterly event featuring influential people who are making an impact in shifting the culture around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion across sports and entertainment.