Everyday in MSBA feels like I am living inside the footage of an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. From the guaranteed goosebump-inducing stories of our speakers to the experience of being toured behind-the-scenes of world-class sports organizations on our field trips, MSBA produces major “What if I told you…?” moments.
“What if I told you that the city that never sleeps, better not sleep on #MSBA15 because we are about to make some major waves in the world of sports…”
Friday was a huge day for us all as we ventured over to Olympic Tower to none other than the NBA League Office. As a massive NBA fan and someone who was greatly inspired by the WNBA growing up, I could not have been more excited for this Field Trip.
Upon arriving, we were greeted in the lobby by Scott Baum, an alum of MSBA 2014 who successfully leveraged last summer’s experience into an internship with the NBA this summer. After riding the elevator upstairs, we settled into a conference room (complete with brownies, cookies, NBA swag, and awesome views of 5th Avenue) for a panel session where we were able to hear from several departments—Human Resources, Global Marketing Partnerships, and Team Marketing and Business Operations, which included my incredible mentor Wendy Morris.
Every member of the panel offered a unique and extraordinarily valuable piece of insight. However, Wendy introduced one point in particular that really stood out to me. She explained why her fellow panelist, Jordan Badria-Bellinger, stood out during his hiring process at the NBA – noting specifically his curiosity and openness to learning. These are qualities that are not easy to come by but that all 25 of us in MSBA most definitely have (or else we wouldn’t be here soaking up information both night and day!)
The entire afternoon at the league’s headquarters flew by unbelievably fast but luckily for a few of us, the NBA/WNBA themed experiences will carry into the weekend. My mentor, Wendy, was kind enough to invite me, along with my two MSBA roommates, to the Liberty game at MSG on Sunday night. Without it even happening yet, I already know it will be an experience that I will never forget.
The summer is barely underway but I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us. What if I told you that the city that never sleeps, better not sleep on #MSBA15 because we are about to make some major waves in the world of sports…