NBA HBCU Fellowship Program: Opening Doors to the Business of Basketball
The NBA HBCU Fellowship Program, a collaboration between the NBA Foundation and Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), is a paid 10-week summer internship designed to create opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program provides hands-on career development opportunities in the business of basketball.
Program Overview
The NBA HBCU Fellowship Program offers internship opportunities in the business of basketball for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program is a paid 10-week summer internship, typically running from June to August. In 2025, the internship program was scheduled from June 8 through August 14.
Eligibility and Selection
To be eligible for the NBA HBCU Fellowship program, applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. The average GPA for previous HBCU Fellowship Cohorts is 3.4. The NBA HBCU Fellowship has featured 265 alums representing 42 HBCUs.
The application process can be competitive. For example, one applicant, Jefferey Hood Jr., shared that he applied three times before being selected. In one year, there were over 8,000 applicants, with only 73 being selected.
MLT plays a role in recruiting, sourcing, and interviewing talent for the Fellowship. In 2025, MLT provided personalized coaching and guidance for students to navigate the application process and highlight their strengths. Ayosike Washington, an MLT coach, encouraged applicants to research the organization and its people.
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Program Structure and Experience
Fellows are aligned to a specific department for the duration of the program and work on real NBA projects and initiatives for NBA Teams and League offices. Fellows work a full 40-hour work-week (Monday-Friday), along with optional evening and weekend events, on occasion. Fellows are selected by NBA teams and the league office to work within a variety of departments, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, IT, social responsibility and marketing.
The program begins with a two-day orientation at NBA headquarters. The orientation includes thought-provoking workshops, panel discussions, and words of wisdom from league executives. Career and leadership training is provided throughout the 10-week experience.
One former fellow, Elliot Howsie, worked closely with the NBA’s Chief Risk Officer, Anshel Boggs, gaining responsibility for meaningful projects and attending high-level meetings. According to Elliot, the experience showed him he wasn’t just an intern observing the process.
Benefits and Outcomes
The NBA HBCU Fellowship Program aims to set its Fellows up to succeed during their internships and beyond. Of the program's alumni, 21% have received full-time jobs and early career opportunities within the NBA talent ecosystem.
According to Mitchinson, the program is a springboard for your career and your life in general.
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HBCU Fellowship alumna Ameer Robertson interned in the same department she currently works in - International Content Partnerships. Serving as a mentor during the orientation allowed Robertson to reflect on her time as a fellow and get a first-hand look at how much the program has grown over the years.
Examples of Fellow Experiences
- Elliot Howsie: A lifelong basketball fan, Elliot saw the program as a way to merge his love for the game with his growing interest in business. He worked closely with the NBA’s Chief Risk Officer and gained responsibility for meaningful projects.
- Ashley Bigbee: A senior broadcast journalism scholar, Ashley interned in corporate communications with the Oklahoma City Thunder. She looked at what previous fellows created. For Bigbee, the experience is about more than writing. OKC is so community-based.
- Jefferey Hood Jr.: Interned with the Cleveland Cavaliers, focusing on business development, premium sales, and hoop sales.
The NBA Foundation and MLT Partnership
The NBA x HBCU program is administered by the NBA Foundation, the league’s first-ever charitable foundation. The orientation was organized in conjunction with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and Fearless Dialogues, both nonprofit partners in the endeavor.
John Rice, Founder and CEO of MLT, was an executive at the league for over five years, where he served as managing director of NBA Japan and as director of marketing for Latin America. According to Rice, the partnership with the NBA and the NBA Foundation is especially meaningful for him as someone who spent over 5 years working for the NBA league office. By working together, Rice believes they are transforming the career and economic trajectories of young people with amazing talent and potential.
Additional NBA Programs
The NBA offers a variety of programs aimed at developing talent and providing opportunities in the sports industry:
- The Business & Basketball Training Program: A series of virtual development programs in the key business areas of sales, analytics and basketball operations. By providing college juniors, seniors and those early in their careers with access to mentorship, networking and development opportunities, as well as real-world insights, the Future Analytics Stars, Future Basketball Operations Stars and Future Sales Stars programs connect current executives with the next generation of leaders in these fields. Programming includes deep dives into Analytics 101, and various aspects of operating an NBA team, with potential on-site experiences for the basketball operations program, as well as the world of ticketing and partnership sales. Participants also hear from guest speakers, engage in candid discussions on how to thrive in the sports industry and participate in skill-building sessions such as resume writing, interview preparation and networking.
- NBA China Associate Program: A two-year development initiative aimed at developing high-potential talent across the Asia region in a range of business functions. The program follows the 70/20/10 model: 70% of learning comes from hands-on experience, 20% from exposure to networks, and 10% from formal education.
- BAL Future Pros program: A 12-month internship that provides the opportunity to gain behind-the-scenes knowledge of operations, identify entrepremeurship opportunities within the ecosystem, and expand their professional networks. As the first NBA-affiliated league outside of the Americas, the Basketball Africa League represents more than just basketball.
- NBA Internship Program: Provides participants with the opportunity to learn about the business of basketball, develop critical career skills and contribute to meaningful projects across a range of departments. Interns are selected to work across various departments, including Basketball Strategy & Analytics, Broadcast Operations, Facilities, IT, and Social Responsibility. Programming includes keynote conversations with senior leaders, professional development sessions, and social events.
Application Advice
Clark advised going beyond talking about how you would personally benefit from the program.
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Metcalf suggested thinking of networking as deposits.
Robertson advocated for seeing the new talent being brought into the league.
tags: #nba #hbcu #fellowship #program #details
