Multiple reports have revealed an end of an era: Rick Welts, the president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, will retire at the end of this season.
Welts’ impact on the Warriors — and the world of pro basketball — is difficult to overstate. He joined the franchise at the turn of the 2011 season, succeeding Robert Rowell after a yearslong stint running the Phoenix Suns as its president and CEO. And in his tenure, he was integral in transforming the franchise from perennial underdogs to the pride and joy of the Bay Area.