A new international partnership is set to provide Deakin Business School students with hands-on sport management learning in the midst of the NBA’s summer season.
Four Deakin students are off to Las Vegas in July to take part in an immersive training opportunity with the NBA Summer League. The opportunity is a result of a new partnership between Deakin University and the Sports Business Classroom’s Business of Basketball Immersive Program.
The first phase consists of a group of Deakin Students attending Sports Business Classroom’s Business of Basketball Immersive Experience, taking place 9-15 July in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League.
Deakin is the first university in the world offering this opportunity, with students accepted into the exclusive program being treated to an immersive look into the complexity of the business of basketball. The curriculum offers students the opportunity to focus on their area of interest, including basketball operations, the league salary cap, media and broadcast, scouting, analytics, and networking and resume writing.
The program offers hands-on experience with real world experts, and has featured an all-star line-up of basketball luminaries as teachers and presenters, including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Rob Pelinka, Scott Brooks, Mike D’Antoni, Rick Carlisle, and many more NBA insiders.
“The team behind Sports Business Classroom is the same team that runs the NBA Summer League, so there is no better immersive experience available for our students to get a true exclusive and inside look at the business of basketball,” says Pete Williams, Professor of Practice, at Deakin University.
“Having one of the leading university sports management programs globally, this is such a perfect partnership to extend the experiences our students can have.”
One student lucky enough to be accepted into the program is Blake Ward, who says he’s looking forward to working with like-minded people who are not only involved in the NBA, but also the students who will also be attending.
“The NBA Summer League is something that I've watched and payed close attention to ever since I was a young teenager, and to now being presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine my passion for basketball and business in an NBA setting is something that I still can't comprehend,” he says.
Blake hopes the program will give him the knowledge and experience required to launch his career in the sports industry.
“My dream job is to be a director of basketball operations, however being able to work within a sporting organisation whilst still doing business-related work is my goal at the moment,” he says. “I'm really wanting to be able to help a sporting team succeed on the court and off it.”
This is no pipe dream, says Pete, with many previous participants going on to dream careers.
“People who have been through the Sports Business Classroom have gone on to get jobs in the NBA, or in the media for ESPN, and really, there’s no limit to where this opportunity can take them,” he says. “We’d also love to see some Australian students bring those skills back to use in the NBL (National Basketball League).”
Larry Coon, General Manager of the Sports Business Classroom says the partnership with Deakin University is a great opportunity, and will provide valuable experience that students can’t get anywhere else.
“Just as the sport of basketball is international, so too is the business of basketball,” he says. “Australia is having such an impact on the court in the NBA, WNBA and G-League; this alliance with the Deakin University will help expand that into the front office of the league.”
Sports Business Classroom is dedicated to creating immersive educational and training experiences designed by leading industry professionals to develop the basketball industry leaders of the future.
Their ‘Business of Basketball Immersive’ which runs inside the stadium during NBA Summer League is a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity for those interested in the business of basketball and jobs in sports.