The 2025 HBCU Fellows completed a two-day orientation at the NBA league offices before beginning their 10-week summer internships.
The NBA Foundation’s NBA HBCU Fellowship Program officially welcomed its fourth cohort of HBCU Fellows, who will spend the summer interning with NBA and WNBA teams and at the league offices. The 10-week internship was created in 2022 with the goal of providing career development opportunities in the business of basketball for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The program’s success speaks for itself. The NBA HBCU Fellowship has featured 265 alums representing 42 HBCUs. Of those alums, 21% have received full-time jobs and early career opportunities within the NBA talent ecosystem. The 2025 class hopes to be the next generation to reap the benefits from the program. The first step was completing a three-day orientation at the NBA league offices.
From recruiting and interviewing Fellows to curriculum development, the NBA Foundation partners with two incredible organizations, Fearless Dialogues, and Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), to execute the program.
New to the fold this year, MLT was responsible for recruiting, sourcing and interviewing talent. MLT will also provide career coaching sessions for Fellows and provide support throughout the Summer.
Although new to the Fellowship, the organization has a unique history with the NBA. Founder and CEO John Rice was an executive at the league for over five years, where he served as managing director of NBA Japan and as director of marketing for Latin America. He founded MLT to advance economic mobility and create inclusive, meritocratic workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive — a mission closely aligned with that of the NBA Foundation.
“This partnership with the NBA and the NBA Foundation is especially meaningful for me as someone who spent over 5 years working for the NBA league office,” Rice said. “My time there was not only rewarding and enjoyable, but developmentally it was the most significant segment of my career. And now, by working together, we are transforming the career and economic trajectories of young people with amazing talent and potential. This isn’t just a summer job. It’s a launchpad for long-term success, and I’m encouraged that the NBA is leveraging MLT’s proven model to invest in its next generation of leaders.”
The orientation featured thought-provoking workshops, panel discussions and words of wisdom from league executives. Head of talent Adam Mitchinson reassured the Fellows that they will gain invaluable experience from the program.
“It’s a springboard for your career and your life in general,” Mitchinson said. “That’s the purpose of this program — to introduce you to the NBA experience, invest in you and give you an incredible 10 weeks.”
Perhaps the most powerful piece of advice Mitchinson offered the Fellows during his remarks was to “embrace ambition.”
Howard University graduate and Columbia University Master’s student Michael Clark plans to do just that during his stint working in the Apparel and Merchandising Partnerships department at the New York office this summer.
“I’m really excited to bring my love and passion as a fan, but also to bring value as a professional who’s aspiring to carve out space in this industry and help move the game along,” Clark said.
Clark named Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as some of the NBA greats who inspired his love for basketball. With the experience and resources provided by the fellowship program, Clark is confident he can have a positive impact on the game, even if it doesn’t come via the hardwood like his role models.
“My mom took me to a 76ers game and said there are more than 10 people working here tonight,” said the Philadelphia native. “She put it into my mind that I can create value another way and help make the game we all love accessible for all types of people. I may not have the same global impact as LeBron James or Stephen Curry, but I want to do my part.”
The program is designed to set its Fellows up to succeed during their internships and beyond, but not without potentially facing tests of adversity along the way. Clark is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. He applied for the fellowship program multiple times before being accepted to the 2025 class.
According to Clark, the turning point in his application process was to go beyond talking about how he would personally benefit from the program. He detailed how he would eventually pay it forward and assist young professionals in a similar position.
“When I was 19 or 20 applying, it was more of ‘I love basketball’, or ‘this would be such an honor,’” Clark said. “It’s obvious what the NBA can do for you, but when you have a concept about how you can be an asset to a community, I think that makes people buy in and believe what you have to say.”
Clark is a part of a 2025 class that features:
- 73 Fellows who will work across NBA and WNBA teams and the league offices
- 23 HBCUs represented
- 4 new schools represented (Fayetteville State, Talladega College, South Carolina State University, Johnson C. Smith University)
During the orientation, the Fellows mingled with league employees during the Business of Basketball Luncheon. Just before the session, Partnerships Lead Genisha Metcalf stressed the importance of networking and reflected on her own chance encounter with a former NBA employee, which would eventually help Metcalf land her current role at the league years later.
“Think of networking as deposits,” Metcalf said. “Every moment is an opportunity that builds upon the next phase of your career path.”
HBCU Fellowship alumna Ameer Robertson was one of the many NBA staff members to offer career advice during the luncheon. Robertson detailed her experience as a Fellow in the inaugural 2022 cohort.
“It was great. I was able to learn a lot, build genuine connections and get a good glimpse of working in corporate America,” Robertson said.
As a Fellow, Robertson interned in the same department she currently works in — International Content Partnerships. Serving as a mentor during the orientation allowed Robertson to reflect on her time as a fellow and get a first-hand look at how much the program has grown over the years.
“Seeing the new talent being brought into the league is amazing,” Robertson said. “I just love seeing these HBCU students get the opportunity of a lifetime, which changed my life, and I know it can change theirs.”
With the NBA HBCU Fellowship’s fourth cohort officially ushered in, the Foundation will eventually turn the page to next year’s class while continuing to provide Fellows with the appropriate tools and support system to help them kick-start their professional careers.
“I’m really grateful to see that I’m advocated for and there are people who want to see me do well,” Clark said. “I know that as an intern, I’m not here because they need me to be an expert. I’m really here to provide a new perspective, have a positive attitude, and be ready and willing to learn, and that’s what I’m excited for.”
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The NBA x HBCU program is administered by the NBA Foundation, the league’s first-ever charitable foundation. The orientation was organized in conjunction with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and Fearless Dialogues, both nonprofit partners in the endeavor. Founded in the Summer of 2020, the NBA Foundation, a joint collaboration between the NBA, NBPA and NBA Governors, has pledged over $300 million over 10 years to create economic empowerment in under-resourced communities.
