Power Players in the NBA

Duke, UCLA, Kentucky. Those are the DI, blueblood college basketball behemoths you’d expect to produce the general managers, executives, scouts, and coaches who go on to lead NBA teams. And yet, Emerson is also a player.

Two of the NBA’s 30 general managers are Emerson alumni, with many more Emersonians on the sidelines and in the front offices of NBA teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, and G League teams, including the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and others.

“The likelihood of anyone who didn’t play professional basketball at the NBA level finding their way into the NBA in any capacity of basketball operations is extremely unlikely,” said Sam Presti ’00, executive vice president and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder and one of Emerson’s most noted NBA connections. “The likelihood of it happening from a DIII school–you’re now slimming the odds. Slice it further, and take it to a DIII school that didn’t have a basketball tradition for the majority of its existence, let alone an athletic tradition, and now you’re in an improbable area.”

But maybe there is something about this arts and communication–focused DIII school that makes the improbable possible.

Presti’s Winning Playbook

In many circles, Presti, an unassuming “there’s no-I-in-team” kind of leader, is regarded as future Basketball Hall of Fame material. He credits his path to the NBA in part to good fortune, hard work, and the ecosystem propagated by former Emerson Men’s Basketball Head Coach Hank Smith, who is now a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC). He coached at Emerson from 1994 to 2010, leading the team to 258 wins, and left a lasting impact on many of his former players.

The story of Presti’s “good fortune,” that is, of his getting his foot in the NBA door, is classic Presti: As a recent college grad, Presti was working at a Colorado high school basketball camp, where, during a camp game, he ran up and down the sidelines talking to a referee, who was none other than San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford. (Presti was there in the first place thanks to a recommendation by former teammate Tommy Arria ’00, whose father was connected to the camp.)

Presti made a good impression and parlayed that literal running conversation with Buford into an internship with the Spurs. He quickly moved up the ladder to director of player personnel in 2003, reaching VP and assistant general manager (GM) by 2005. Along the way, he famously pushed for the Spurs to draft 19-year-old Tony Parker by showing up at Buford’s house with videotapes of the now Hall of Famer playing in Europe. Presti then became GM of the Seattle SuperSonics before the team moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed the Thunder. In his first three NBA drafts, Presti chose three surefire Hall of Famers and future league MVPs: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

Since then, Presti’s blueprint for success—emphasizing patience over quick wins and focusing on analytics, developing players, and making valuable trades by acquiring future first round picks—is now widely replicated across the NBA and other professional sports leagues.

Scoring Big

When Rob Hennigan ’04 applied to Emerson, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to play basketball. But that changed once he stepped foot on campus. In fact, Hennigan, now OKC’s assistant GM, went on to become the all-time scorer for the Lions’ men’s basketball program—a title he still holds.

Today, he credits Presti and former coach Hank Smith for his entry into the NBA.

In 2004, on Smith’s suggestion, Presti offered Hennigan an internship opportunity in San Antonio. It was a “catchall” internship, Hennigan recalled, where he did a little bit of everything, all the while persevering and consistently demonstrating teamwork, no matter the task assigned.

“Data entry, note taking, dropping off dry cleaning, picking up lunch, driving back and forth to the airport to pick up players and guests, and things of that nature,” said Hennigan. “It was an internship in the front office; but at the time, NBA front offices were probably a tenth of the size they are now and had much more of a mom-and-pop feel to it. I was trying to just pitch in and help really in any area that someone needed my help.”

Hennigan worked his way up through the Spurs organization from intern to basketball operations assistant to director of basketball operations. He was then hired by Presti to be the OKC’s director of college/ international player personnel and then assistant general manager. At the age of 30, Hennigan became the second youngest GM in the history of the NBA, when he was hired by the Orlando Magic.

“I think my journalism degree helped me a great deal with my communication skills, information gathering, negotiating, dealing with different personalities and situations, and absolutely equipped me quite well for success,” said Hennigan.

A Broadcaster’s Eye and a GM’s Mind

Like Hennigan, Washington Wizards GM Will Dawkins ’08 relies on his background and skills in broadcast journalism. Dawkins prioritizes being well-prepared for media interviews and stays involved in reviewing promotional materials, including player highlight videos.

“I want to see all of that because I know it matters—and I actually have a trained eye for it,” Dawkins said. “When it comes to media and public relations, how our players are presented on social media, I’ll say, ‘Okay, tweak this a little,’ because I still have an instinct for it.”

As a student at Emerson, in addition to studying journalism and playing on the men’s basketball team, Dawkins worked for the Athletics Department, gaining hands-on experience in various roles. “I was announcing softball games to hone my broadcasting skills, shagging balls at lacrosse games, and refereeing volleyball matches,” he said. “I also helped at NBA practices, handing out towels, providing water, or simply directing players to the elevator.”

Dawkins recalled meeting Mo Cheeks—when he was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers—during one of those practices: “Who knew that just five years later we’d be friends, and I’d be working in his office, sitting next to him on flights, laughing, and joking?”

In 2008, Dawkins had an interview lined up for a job at ESPN, but Presti offered him one in Seattle. Dawkins then spent 15 seasons with OKC before becoming general manager of the Wizards in 2023.

“[Emersonians] share a true brotherhood of shared experiences, the commitment level, and what the next person behind you went through,” said Dawkins. “You know you can run them through a wall. Give them an opportunity and you know they’re going to do their best with it.”

Paying Your Dues, One Video Editing Session at a Time

Sioux Falls Skyforce Head Coach Dan Bisaccio ’12 exemplifies the Emerson tenacity. He began his NBA career as a video intern for the Miami Heat, working his way up to head video coordinator, and then to player development coach. His nine years in the Miami Heat video room—learning from Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, who’s won multiple NBA championships—paid off.

“The best part about coming from Emerson—you learn a lot of those programs, whether it’s Final Cut or Adobe. Coach Spo came from the video room. That’s his background. That’s really just his think tank and he treats it as such,” said Bisaccio.

In the video room, Bisaccio learned why coaches value particular video clips to help with scouting and player evaluation. He also developed relationships with players and began working with them on the court, going from a rebounder to a defender, and then running drills. He said his broadcast journalism education at Emerson equipped him with the ability to multitask, perform under pressure, and confidently lead—whether in the video room or on the court.

Another advantage of coming from Emerson, Bisaccio said, is the strong network of Emersonians, adding that he has consulted with former teammate Chris Taylor ’11 on topics such as communicating with players. (Taylor became GM of the G League’s Indiana Mad Ants in 2021 after years with the Indiana Pacers.)

The Heat believed in Bisaccio’s coaching abilities, and before taking the reins of the Skyforce for the 2024–2025 season, he led the Heat to a summer league championship in 2024.

Bisaccio emphasized that being a head coach goes beyond Xs and Os or crafting the perfect game-winning play. It’s about excelling in the daily operations: building a rapport with players on the court, collaborating with front office personnel, and seamlessly working with everyone in between.

“The biggest thing you can do is learn how to build a relationship with them, learn how to grow with them, because you’re not just coaching the players. You’re also growing with them as individuals,” said Bisaccio. “And then…understanding how to scout a player, evaluate talent, and bring out the best of them in that way.”

Learned Behaviors

Presti, Hennigan, Dawkins, Bisaccio, and many other Emersonians working in the NBA attribute their success to the mindset they learned on the court at Emerson: that tenacity, doggedness, determination, and perseverance. Coach Hank Smith instilled in them his core belief that players must always be prepared, give maximum effort, compete with intensity, and prioritize teamwork.

“It’s holding people accountable in everything they do. Once you do that, you can use that in sports, your life, your relationships, and your work,” said Smith. “If you can hold yourself accountable, then you can be successful.”

They also believe in paying forward the opportunities that were given to them, knowing that, as Dawkins explained, an Emersonian will do their best. (Case in point, the Sioux Falls Skyforce hired former Emerson star and DIII All-American center Jarred Houston ’22, MA ’23, who began as a player development intern and is now a player development assistant.)

Today, as Smith reflects on his time at Emerson, he recalls working his players to be their best selves, fostering a shared mindset built on strong values, work ethic, humility, communication, and critical thinking, within the context of Emerson’s collaborative environment.

“It’s a creative atmosphere that encourages students to try and work collaboratively with others,” Smith said. “I think that’s a big part of it. The College fosters that kind of thinking.”

Indeed, it’s helped his players find incredible success at the absolute highest level of the game.

Emerson x NBA

The list of Emersonians in the NBA and G League continues to grow and includes:

The main image was illustrated by Bernardo Henning. Photos by Kelly Chen ’26