Changing the world in their own way

At my sixth NBA All-Star Weekend, in Salt Lake City this year, I met five people whose work in and around basketball left a lasting impression.

Five people worth knowing

Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA's first female commissioner, has driven real gains in player pay, media coverage and the league's fan base since 2019. Patrick Hunt, who coached me as an 18-year-old and now leads the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program, has spent over 50 years developing players and coaches at every level, from grassroots to the professional game. Carol Callan, formerly of USA Basketball and now President of FIBA Americas, has spent three decades championing women's basketball and gender equity worldwide. Ben Turner, a friend from Melbourne now leading sports content and integrity work at Sportradar globally, still volunteers locally as a director of a suburban basketball club. And Pau Gasol, an NBA champion and Olympic medallist, has used his platform since 2012 to run a foundation focused on children's health and wellbeing worldwide.

What ties all five together isn't fame or achievement alone, but a genuine, ongoing commitment to making the sport — and the people around it — better.