Tamika Tremaglio Will Replace Michelle Roberts As NBPA Executive Director

As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Michelle Roberts is retiring as the NBA Players Association executive director and will replaced by attorney Tamika Tremaglio. Tremagilo was, up until Wednesday night, an attorney for Deloitte, a firm that provides audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services.

The NBPA officially announced the move in a press release on Wednesday night.

“Tamika has been by our side for many years, advising us on the best practices and policies needed for our organization to operate more like a successful business,” McCollum said in the release. “Given Michele’s strong leadership and guidance that have brought us to where we are today, we were looking for a next-generation leader, who has the skills, vision, and credibility to pick up where Michele will leave off and to elevate our Union to even greater heights. Tamika’s well-rounded experience in collective bargaining, staff management, revenue creation, wealth preservation and culture building, undoubtedly will put our players in the best position to succeed.”

What’s notable about Tremagilo is that she’s going be hands-on in the next round of collective bargaining negotiations between the players and the league. That’s on the horizon — the reported opt-out date for both sides is in December 2022 in the middle of the 2022-23 season — but the ramp-up to that starts now.

“I’ve worked with some of the brightest business and legal minds in the world,” said Tremaglio per the release. “I’ve broken barriers, challenged misperceptions, and much like the professional athletes I’ve supported over the years, I have defied the odds. I’m incredibly grateful and passionate about this opportunity to serve the Players and positively contribute to the role that the NBPA will play in the future of basketball, both on and off the court.”

Roberts also leaves behind a really legacy in her time with the NBPA. She had originally announced her decision to step down as executive back in March 2020 after six years at the head of the organization. Her stay was extended by the pandemic, where she was key in helping Orlando bubble happen and in the league’s players supporting social justice in Orlando.

Tremagilo is the first significant hire by the new president of the NBPA, Blazers guard CJ McCollum, and, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted, Tremagilo also has previous experience consulting for the NBPA and worked with WNBA players when they negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement in 2019.