Robert Rowell (basketball)

Last updated
Robert Rowell
Born
Robert Rowell

1967 (age 56–57)
Alma mater Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Known forFormer president of the Golden State Warriors

Robert Rowell is an American sports executive who worked for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 16 years. Rowell was team president from 2003 to 2011.

Contents

Career

Early career

After completing his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Robert Rowell worked for the university as business manager in the athletic department. In that role, he led an upgrade in the school's NCAA status from Division II to Division I-A. [1]

In 1995, he was hired by the Golden State Warriors as assistant controller. He focused on marketing the team better, leading a re-branding campaign using the slogan: "It's a Great Time Out." He also improved the Warriors' website, increasing the number of visits and sales there, as well as installing an in-arena cybercafé and experimenting with live webcasts. Game attendance and season ticket sales increased. [1]

Rowell's successful marketing efforts led to increased responsibilities in the organization's front office, becoming chief operating officer in 2001, at 34 years old. He represented the team at the NBA Board of Governors and received Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 Award the same year. [2]

Oakland Arena, home of the Warriors during Rowell's tenure The Oracle Arena, Oakland.jpg
Oakland Arena, home of the Warriors during Rowell's tenure

Warriors president

In June 2003, Rowell was promoted to team president, reporting to Chris Cohan, owner of the team at that time. Rowell's tenure as president was marked with success from a business operations standpoint but mostly disappointment on the basketball side. [3]

After a disappointing finish to the 2003-04 season, head coach Eric Musselman was fired, and stars Nick Van Exel and Erick Dampier were traded. Rowell made his first major hires, attempting to better the team's basketball prospects. He hired Chris Mullin as executive vice president of basketball operations, similar to a general manager role, and Mike Montgomery as head coach. [4] [5]

The team underperformed under Montgomery, remaining at 12th place in the western conference for both years. However, flashes of potential came from the drafting of Monta Ellis and a trade for Baron Davis. In September 2006, Don Nelson replaced Montgomery as head coach and the team returned to the playoffs and shocked many in the basketball world when they defeated the top seeded Dallas Mavericks. [4] [5]

The Warriors would not return to the playoffs under Rowell. Jason Richardson was traded in June 2007, Baron Davis left in free agency the following year. The decision to suspend Monta Ellis for 30 games for his moped accident created a rift between Rowell and Mullin in the team front office. This, as well as differences of opinion in player contract negotiations, led to Mullin's ouster in May 2009. Larry Riley became the new GM. [4] [5]

In July 2010, ownership of the team changed, with Cohan selling it to a group led by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber for a then-record price of $450 million. Rowell stayed for a year but was terminated as team president in 2011, as part of an organization-wide shake up under the new ownership group. [4] [5]

Post-Warriors work

After Rowell left the Warriors, he went on to work for The Wagstaffe Group, a legal publishing company, as a partner. He also serves as an advisor to EPIC Leisure Management. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden State Warriors</span> National Basketball Association team in San Francisco, California

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. The club plays its home games at Chase Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Mullin</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1963)

Christopher Paul Mullin is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Nelson</span> American NBA player and head coach

Donald Arvid Nelson is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Jackson</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1965)

Mark A. Jackson is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick. He played in the NBA for the Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in a career spanning from 1987 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Curry</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Wardell Stephen Curry II is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Near-unanimously considered the greatest shooter of all time, Curry is credited with revolutionizing the sport by inspiring teams and players at all levels to more prominently utilize the three-point shot. He is a four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), an NBA Finals MVP, an NBA All-Star Game MVP, an NBA Clutch Player of the Year, and the inaugural NBA Western Conference finals MVP. He is also a two-time NBA scoring champion, a ten-time NBA All-Star, and a ten-time All-NBA selection. Internationally, he has won two gold medals at the FIBA World Cup and a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of the U.S. men's national team.

Roderick Dwayne Higgins is an American former professional basketball player who formerly served as president of basketball operations for the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets. He is also the father of former Charlotte Bobcats point guard Cory Higgins.

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Pacers' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise. In the off-season, the Pacers hired former Indiana State and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as head coach, acquired All-Star forward Chris Mullin from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Mark West. Bird and Mullin were once teammates on the "Dream Team" from the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden State Warriors. Along with their inaugural championship win in the 1946–47 season, the Warriors have won six others in the team's history, including another in Philadelphia after the 1955–56 season, and five more as Golden State after the 1974–75, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2021–22 seasons.

The 1991–92 NBA season was the Warriors' 46th season in the National Basketball Association, and 29th in the San Francisco Bay Area. On the first day of the regular season, Run TMC was broken up when the Warriors traded star guard Mitch Richmond to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for top draft pick, and 6' 8" Syracuse forward Billy Owens, who was selected 3rd overall by the Kings in the 1991 NBA draft. Owen's additional height compared to Richmond's 6' 5" height was the size that head coach Don Nelson believed would complete the team. Nelson said he "was under pressure to get [the team] bigger" to improve the Warriors from a good team to a great one. "I’d never make that trade again", Nelson lamented. The Warriors started their season winning their first four games, then won 11 of their 15 games in February including an 8-game winning streak. The team held a 29–15 record at the All-Star break, and finished second in the Pacific Division with a 55–27 record, the most wins in a season for the franchise since 1975–76.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lacob</span> American business executive (born 1956)

Joseph Steven Lacob is an American business executive who was a partner at Kleiner Perkins and is the majority owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Golden State Valkyries of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Draymond Green</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Draymond Jamal Green is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the power forward position, is a four-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Considered one of the greatest defensive players in the league, he is an eight-time All-Defensive Team, 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in steals. Green has been a runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Myers</span> American basketball player and executive (born 1975)

Robert Michael Myers is an American former basketball executive who was the general manager for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2012 to 2023. During his tenure, he was twice named NBA Executive of the Year while leading the Warriors to four NBA championships. Myers is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN.

The 1992–93 NBA season was the Warriors' 47th season in the National Basketball Association, and 30th in the San Francisco Bay Area. This season is most memorable when the Warriors drafted Latrell Sprewell from the University of Alabama with the 24th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Jeff Grayer. The Warriors were severely bitten by the injury bug all season losing their top players; Chris Mullin missed half the season with a torn ligament in his right thumb, only playing just 46 games, Tim Hardaway missed 16 games with a bruised right knee, Šarūnas Marčiulionis broke his right leg and dislocated his right ankle in a jogging accident before the season, returned to play 30 games, then sat out the rest of the year with Achilles tendonitis; and second-year star Billy Owens only played just 37 games due to a knee injury.

The 1995–96 NBA season was the Warriors' 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 34th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors won the Draft Lottery, and selected Joe Smith from the University of Maryland with the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired B. J. Armstrong from the expansion Toronto Raptors, and signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Jon Barry. With Armstrong and Kersey both in the lineup at point guard and small forward respectively, Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin both played off the bench for most of the season. At midseason, Hardaway was traded along with Chris Gatling to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles.

The 1996–97 NBA season was the Warriors' 51st season in the National Basketball Association, and 35th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors had the eleventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected Todd Fuller out of North Carolina State. Due to extensive renovations at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the team played their home games at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California this season. In the off-season, the Warriors signed free agent All-Star guard Mark Price, then traded Rony Seikaly to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Felton Spencer, Donald Royal and Jon Koncak at the start of the season. However, Koncak was out for the entire season with a knee injury, and never played for the Warriors.

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Warriors' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 36th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors received the eighth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected Adonal Foyle out of Colgate University. The Warriors also moved into their new arena, known as The Arena in Oakland. During the off-season, the team acquired second-year center Erick Dampier from the Indiana Pacers, and Brian Shaw from the Orlando Magic. Early into the season, they traded B. J. Armstrong to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Muggsy Bogues and second-year guard Tony Delk. However, under new head coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Warriors struggled losing their first nine games, which led to an awful 1–14 start.

The 1996–97 NBA season was the Pacers' 21st season in the National Basketball Association, and 30th season as a franchise. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired Jalen Rose and Reggie Williams from the Denver Nuggets; the Pacers also received the tenth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft from the Nuggets, which they used to select Erick Dampier out of Mississippi State. However, after playing just two games for the team, Williams was then traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Vincent Askew. Injuries and sluggish play would hamper the Pacers all season long as Rik Smits only played 52 games due to a foot injury, while Derrick McKey only appeared in just 50 games due to a foot injury, and a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Haywoode Workman was lost for the remainder of the season with a knee injury after only playing just four games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run TMC</span> Basketball trio

Run TMC was the high-scoring trio of Hall of Fame basketball teammates consisting of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Starting in 1989, they played together for two seasons with the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Coached by Don Nelson, who was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Warriors played a fast-paced, run-and-gun style, and Run TMC was the league's highest-scoring trio in the 1990–91 season. Despite their short time together, the popularity of Run TMC endured. Their name was a play on the hip hop group Run-DMC, with the first name initials of each member forming TMC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splash Brothers</span> Duo of American basketball players

The Splash Brothers are a former duo of American professional basketball players, guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who played together for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2011 to 2024. Considered among the greatest shooters in NBA history, and one of the greatest backcourts of all time, they combined to set various NBA records for three-point field goals by a pair of teammates, and each won the Three-Point Contest. They were NBA All-Stars and together won four NBA championships and appeared in six NBA Finals with the Warriors.

References

  1. 1 2 Lombardo, John (November 5, 2001). "40 under 40: Robert Rowell". Sports Business Journal. Street & Smith. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Warriors Promote Former Vice President, Robert Rowell". NBA.com. May 2, 2001. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ Spencer, K (June 9, 2003). "Warriors Promote Robert Rowell To Team President". NBA.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Simmons, Rusty (June 22, 2011). "Robert Rowell out as Warriors' president". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Simmons, Rusty (June 22, 2011). "A Robert Rowell timeline". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Our Team". EPIC Leisure Management. 26 October 2018. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.