NBA hires former Obama counsel, Google exec Albert Sanders Jr. to head ref operations

The NBA has hired Albert Sanders Jr., a Google executive and former associate counsel to President Barack Obama, as its new head of referee operations.

He will be an executive vice president, working with Monty McCutchen, the senior vice president for referee development and training. Sanders will report to Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president for league operations.

Other than being a fan, Sanders has no extensive basketball or officiating background. But the NBA has experts in those areas, and Sanders’ work in leadership is what made the league want him for this, Spruell said.

“I’m not an officiating expert and we don’t expect Albert to be,” Spruell said. “But we expect him to elevate the program with his operations and his strategy background. We know he can do that.”

Spruell sees parallels between how the referee operations department will work and how NBA teams are structured. Sanders will essentially be general manager, with McCutchen the coach and a team of assistants.

Sanders will have responsibility for the recruitment, hiring, supervision and evaluation of all referees, the league said. He will also have oversight over the NBA Replay Center.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to use my experience in strategic oversight and planning to further enhance the NBA’s officiating program,” Sanders said.

Sanders was at Google since 2017, where he most recently was Global Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy. He also worked in the Obama White House, was Counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and Counselor to the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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