10/27/2026 09:48:00
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10/27 09:47 CDT Kathy Behrens, who developed NBA Cares, plans to leave the
league office after a 26-year run
Kathy Behrens, who developed NBA Cares, plans to leave the league office after
a 26-year run
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
Kathy Behrens started her high school basketball career at a time when her home
state of New York had yet to even start a championship for girls. She played in
college, long before the women's game had the immense following it does now.
And the WNBA had not even been dreamed of in those days.
Basketball became her life's work anyway.
Behrens --- who became one of the highest-ranking women in the NBA office,
holding her current title of President of Social Responsibility and Player
Programs since 2015 --- has decided to leave the league office after 26 years.
Colleagues were informed on Tuesday, and she intends to depart at the end of
the year.
"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," Behrens said in an interview
with The Associated Press. "And the work is great and so meaningful. I love the
people that I work with. But I had just started to think that it's time to do
some other things. It's that time."
Among her best-known accomplishments: She developed the wildly successful NBA
Cares program, which has long been a top priority for the league in terms of
community outreach, as well as oversaw the creations of the NBA Foundation and
the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition during the pandemic.
Commissioner Adam Silver lauded Behrens on Tuesday for what he called "an
extraordinary NBA career."
"Kathy has supported generations of players in navigating the demands of their
careers, developing interests beyond basketball and preparing for life after
the game," Silver said in a memo distributed to staff, a copy of which was
obtained by the AP. "Throughout her career, Kathy has been a trusted colleague
and friend and a passionate advocate for basketball's ability to improve lives,
and I am deeply grateful for everything Kathy has done for our leagues."
In college, Behrens studied education but developed a fascination with politics
and was president of Hartford's student government. She figured that would be
her career path.
After graduating, she worked for the United Way in New York as a fundraiser,
then got asked to join Gov. Mario Cuomo's administration. She worked for Cuomo
for more than six years, and when he lost a bid for what would have been a
fourth term in 1994 Behrens found herself looking for a new challenge.
She became executive director of a nonprofit program called New York Cares. In
1998, that organization worked with the NBA on events related to that year's
All-Star Game in New York. And a couple of years later, Behrens was asked to
join the league office --- which is when she started getting to know
then-Commissioner David Stern.
"To me, David was sort of like the Mario Cuomo of the sports world," Behrens
said. "My final interview was with David, Adam and (then-deputy commissioner)
Russ Granik. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I have always remained so
grateful for the privilege to work around the game, to be connected to the game
and contribute to the success and the growth that we've had."
The name "NBA Cares" is a nod to New York Cares. Stern pushed for the name, and
Behrens initially felt like it was too close to the name of her past employer.
But in time, she, Stern and Silver realized it was the perfect moniker. The
program officially launched in 2005, has seen NBA personnel give more than 6.5
million hours of their time to various causes and has generated hundreds of
millions of dollars to groups that needed the support.
"It made sense and it clicked," Behrens said. "We launched it and the enduring
legacy of that is something I'm incredibly proud of."
The decision to step away, she insists, was not easy. For a quarter-century or
so now, Behrens has had a little tradition of standing with Dan Rube, one of
the league's executive vice presidents and general counsel, at an NBA Finals
game. They always say the same thing, reminding each other to never take being
part of the NBA for granted.
"It was a gift and it makes it hard to leave," Behrens said. "But it's time to
give the gift to other people."
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