Retired general Martin E. Dempsey elected Chairman Of USA Basketball

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (Official release) — Retired General Martin E. Dempsey, the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been elected USA Basketball Chairman for the 2017-20 quadrennium. The announcement was made Monday following the USA Basketball Annual Board of Directors meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Dempsey succeeds Jerry Colangelo, who announced earlier this month that he would not seek a third term as Chairman. Colangelo relinquished the role to focus on building the USA Men’s National Team’s player pool for the 2017-20 quad and leading the transition to a new coaching staff, with five-time NBA champion Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs replacing Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University as head coach.

Also announced as members of the 2017-2020 USA Basketball 12-member Board of Directors were: NBA appointees Kim Bohuny, NBA Senior Vice President, International Basketball Operations; and Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer; NCAA appointees Danny Gavitt, NCAA Vice President of Men’s Basketball Championships; Bernard Muir, Stanford University’s Director of Athletics; and Chris Plonsky, University of Texas Director of Women’s Athletics and Senior Associate Athletic Director of Men’s/Women’s Athletics External Services; scholastic representative Bob Gardner, Executive Director, National Federation of State High School Associations; national organizations representative Jim Carr, NAIA President and Chief Executive Director; at-large representative Jordan Schlachter, NBPA Chief Marketing Officer; and athlete representatives Chauncey Billups, 2010 World Championship gold medalist, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith. Colangelo rounds out the board and will serve in an ex officio capacity as past chairman.

Dempsey, who was appointed Special Adviser to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in January 2016, has previous connections to USA Basketball. He has spoken on leadership panels with members of USA Basketball, addressed the men’s and women’s national teams on numerous occasions and led USA Basketball’s participation in the Hoops for Troops and TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) programs to connect the world’s best athletes with the world’s best military and their families.

“I am excited to join USA Basketball and to become part of a legacy of excellence both on and off the court,” said Dempsey. “Playing for USA Basketball is about commitment, sacrifice, and pride. It’s about developing young men and women who are exceptional athletes but also exceptional leaders. It’s about respecting the game and our international competitors. It’s about representing our country with honor, and it’s about winning. I look forward to working with the USA Basketball staff, coaches, players, and families.”

USA Basketball is No. 1 in all five of FIBA’s world-ranking categories: men’s, women’s, combined, boys and girls. USA teams are the current champions in men’s and women’s Olympics; men’s FIBA World Cup and women’s FIBA World Championship; men’s and women’s FIBA U19 World Championships; men’s FIBA U17 World Championship; men’s and women’s FIBA Americas U18 Championships; men’s FIBA Americas U16 Championship; men’s Nike Hoop Summit; and women’s World University Games.

Dempsey recently retired after 41 years of military service. During his years of military service, he served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army and as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2011-15). As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff he was the senior officer in the Armed Forces and the military advisor to the Secretary of Defense and to the President.

Dempsey will continue to advise Silver and chair the recently formed Jr. NBA Leadership Council. In those roles, General Dempsey counsels the NBA on leadership and service and helps with the league’s efforts to engage youth.

Dempsey has received numerous military awards and decorations both from the United States Government and from foreign leaders. In 2015, TIME magazine named him one of the world’s most influential leaders. Most recently, Queen Elizabeth II honored him as a Knight of the British Empire.

A 1974 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he has a master’s degree in English from Duke University and an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Notre Dame.