Jacinda Ortiz is joining the National Basketball Players Association as its vice president of communications, granting her oversight surrounding efforts in this department. Under the new role, Ortiz will have responsibilities surrounding representing and supporting NBA players as a collective voice and also directing strategy pertaining to communications related to the NBPA and divisions of the labor union. Ortiz will officially be starting this position with the NBPA in early July.
“We are excited to welcome Jacinda to the NBPA,” David Kelly, general counsel and managing director of the NBPA, said in a statement. “She has a deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, and her robust experience in the sports industry makes her the perfect fit to lead our communications strategy and storytelling efforts, and to elevate our players as leaders on-and-off the court.”
Ortiz formerly worked directly with the National Basketball Association as the senior director of media, direct-to-consumer and entertainment communications. Under her previous position, she oversaw the external communications related to the new 11-year media rights deals with The Walt Disney Company, Comcast Corporation and Amazon reportedly worth a collective $77 billion. In addition, she took part in promotional strategy for league and team direct-to-consumer products, along with news surrounding television viewership, celebrity integrations and marketing campaigns.
Ortiz is also the creator of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award that recognizes players who raise awareness towards inequalities. Before working at the NBA, she had communications roles at CBS Sports and FOX Sports where she contributed to the publicity efforts surrounding coverage of the NFL, college football and college basketball. Ortiz is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a Master of Arts in strategic communications from High Point University.
“I’m thrilled to join the NBPA leadership team and leverage my experience to elevate the voices and influence of the players,” Ortiz said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with the entire NBPA organization and its members to showcase the profound impact NBA players have around the world, not just as athletes, but as cultural leaders.”
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