Ep. 125: Onsi Saleh, President of the Atlanta Hawks, on His Path from Law School to Running an NBA Team

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My guest on the latest episode of SportsWise is Atlanta Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh.

This one is particularly special for me because Onsi is a former student of mine at Tulane Law, and I've had the privilege of watching his remarkable rise through the NBA ranks.

We discuss:

🏀 How a Tulane Law internship with the San Antonio Spurs helped launch his NBA career

🏀 What he learned from R.C. Buford, Gregg Popovich, and Bob Myers

🏀 How he approaches trades, analytics, player evaluation, and building a winning culture

🏀 Why character and coachability matter as much as talent

🏀 How he handles the pressures of running an NBA franchise—and why he doesn't pay much attention to what people say about him

🏀 The advice that has shaped his career (with a little help from The Bear)

We also get his NBA player comparison, which may surprise you.

One of my favorite parts of being a professor is seeing former students pursue their dreams and succeed. Onsi's story is a great example of what happens when talent, hard work, curiosity, and kindness come together.

I'm incredibly proud of him, and I really enjoyed this conversation.

Thank you for listening! For the latest in sports law news and analysis, you can follow Gabe Feldman on twitter @sportslawguy .