NBA social responsibility chief Kathy Behrens to depart after 26 years

Kathy Behrens, the President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs for the National Basketball Association, will leave the league office after 26 years. Colleagues received notification of her departure on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. She plans to exit her position at the close of the current year.

Behrens joined the league office in 2000 after serving as executive director of the nonprofit New York Cares. She had previously worked for more than six years in the administration of New York Governor Mario Cuomo. Before that, she served as a fundraiser for the United Way in New York. Her early career in public service laid the groundwork for her role in professional basketball administration.

In 2015, the NBA appointed Behrens to her current title. During her tenure, she developed the NBA Cares program, which became a central pillar of the league's community outreach strategy. She also oversaw the creation of the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition during the pandemic. The NBA Cares initiative has recorded more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer time from league personnel and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for various causes.

Commissioner Adam Silver issued a memo to staff on Tuesday praising Behrens for what he described as an extraordinary NBA career. Silver noted that Behrens has supported generations of players in managing their careers and preparing for life after the game. He called her a trusted colleague and a passionate advocate for the power of basketball to improve lives. A copy of the memo was obtained by The Associated Press.

Behrens reflected on her decision to step away in an interview with The Associated Press. She noted that her children recently left for college, which prompted her to evaluate her next steps. She described the NBA office as a difficult place to leave because of the meaningful work and the people she collaborates with daily. She stated that it is time for her to pursue other activities.

The name NBA Cares was chosen in 2005 as a nod to Behrens previous employer, New York Cares. Commissioner David Stern pushed for the name, although Behrens initially felt it was too close to her past job title. She and Stern eventually agreed that the moniker was appropriate. The program launched that year and has remained a top priority for the league.

Behrens attended the University of Hartford, where she played tennis and basketball and studied education. She was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. She served as student government president during her time there. After graduating, she entered the workforce in New York, moving from fundraising to state government before joining the NBA orbit in the late 1990s.

Behrens described her first meeting with Stern as a pivotal moment in her career. She compared Stern's influence to that of Governor Cuomo in the sports world. She expressed gratitude for the privilege of working within the game. She and Dan Rube, an executive vice president, have a tradition of attending NBA Finals games together to reflect on their roles. She said it is time to pass the gift of working in the NBA to other people.