Foundation Friday: NBA Foundation and Rockets Team Up at AfroTech 2024 in Houston

From Nov. 13-16, 2024, the NBA Foundation, in collaboration with the Houston Rockets, created a buzz at the AfroTech Conference in Houston. This conference is renowned as one of the largest gatherings for innovators, tech professionals, and entrepreneurs worldwide. The joint effort aimed to empower students and young professionals by providing opportunities for networking, skill development, and engaging in groundbreaking challenges.

Building Connections and Developing Future Leaders

As part of the initiative, 100 students from local colleges received complimentary access to AfroTech, where they had the chance to network with over 40,000 professionals from top companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and JP Morgan. These networking events, hosted by industry giants including Snapchat, Grammarly, and Coinbase, provided students with valuable connections to build relationships and help launch their careers.

The NBA Foundation also hosted five hours of career development sessions in collaboration with Microsoft and Amplitude. The workshops focused on skill-building, including an Amplitude product demo, Xbox Day and the Microsoft Tech Xcellence Career Session.

Showcasing Innovation: The NBA Foundation Tech Challenge

A key highlight was the inaugural

, where students from local universities, including Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, competed to solve real-world business challenges. The challenge, judged by Houston Rockets chief marketing and strategy officer Julian Duncan, former NBA All-Star Baron Davis, and Amplitude chief DEI officer Nikki Lasley celebrated the creativity and problem-solving skills of the participants.

Duncan commented on the importance of blending sports and tech, saying, “When you think about sport and its role in culture, it makes all the sense in the world to collide that with an industry like tech to connect with the younger generation.”

Baron Davis added, “The pitch competition is lighting bulbs for kids and creating opportunity. That’s the most important thing—the access and the visibility.”

The team from Prairie View A&M University, known as the “Panther Playmakers,” clinched the top prize, earning $1,000 per student and scholarships funded by a donation from Amplitude. The winning team shared their gratitude, with one student saying, “The Tech Challenge definitely changed my life. I can tell other students at Prairie View University that you can do anything you put your mind to.” 

Lasley reflected on her role in the event: “I was honored to be a judge and witness the incredible talent of the students from the four universities. This partnership is so important because it helps us bring to life the goals Amplitude has to create the next generation of diverse product leaders.”

Inspiring Conversations at AfroTech

In addition to the Tech Challenge, the NBA and Rockets featured a panel discussion on the intersection of tech and basketball, with NBA president of basketball operations Byron Spruell, WNBA head of league operations Bethany Donaphin and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. The panel offered advice on career development, discussing how students can merge their passions for both sports and technology.

Davis also took part in a Fireside Chat about entrepreneurship and innovation, sharing his experience blending business, basketball and technology.

Looking Ahead

Genisha Metcalf, NBA Foundation partnerships lead, explained the significance of the Tech Challenge in achieving the NBA Foundation’s mission: “The NBA Foundation’s mission is to increase economic opportunity in NBA markets. The Tech Challenge helps us bring this goal to life by connecting students to tech mentors, developing their design-thinking skills, and inspiring them to come up with innovative ideas.”

Through this partnership with the Rockets, the NBA Foundation continues to drive its mission of creating opportunities for young people in tech, business and beyond. By offering access to mentorship, skill development, and career-building resources, the NBA Foundation is helping shape the next generation of leaders at the intersection of sports and technology.