Warriors’ Rick Welts ready for another parade: SF Pride
Warriors President Rick Welts found himself in an enviable spot for his team’s victory parade in Oakland on June 19 — in the vehicle directly behind MVPs Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, and in front of coach Steve Kerr.
In May 2011, when Welts was president and CEO of the Phoenix Suns, Welts revealed that he’s gay in a front-page New York Times story.
The NBA’s Jason Collins became the first openly gay athlete in the four major U.S. sports, Michael Sam disclosed his homosexuality after his final season of college football at Missouri, and Major League Soccer star Robbie Rogers also came out.
“I think the hope was my story would start a conversation on homosexuality, and especially in men’s professional sports,” he said earlier this week.
Welts figures this is the slow, natural evolution on social issues.
The Michael Sam generation, as he put it, brings a different set of experiences than the men who run pro sports franchises.
Welts is a widely respected executive who has spent nearly 40 years in the NBA, including 17 at the league office and nine with the Phoenix Suns.
Welts hopes sports is heading toward the day when news of a player’s homosexuality is regarded as “totally unremarkable.”