Bob Myers: General Manager for the Golden State Warriors
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Under the leadership of alumnus Bob Myers '03, the Golden State Warriors earned an NBA championship in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, and reached the finals in 2016 and 2019. Myers was also named the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2014-15 and again 2016-17. During the same period, the sports agent-turned-general-manager orchestrated the construction of a new stadium in downtown San Francisco. He credits LLS for giving him the foundation to do it all.
Myers joined the Warriors organization in April 2011 as assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Myers’ lifelong passion for basketball and its players has been the foundation for his career in the professional sports industry, where he credits his legal background as critical to his success.
Myers played basketball for UCLA during college. Upon graduating, he was excited to jump into the world of sports-agency representation. As a former player, he connected well with athletes and had a firsthand understanding of their roles and concerns on and off the court. As an intern for legendary agent Arn Tellem, he received unique insider insight into the business of athlete representation and how often it involved contracts, negotiations and reams of legal documents. Looking to advance his career, Myers sought the advice of Tellem and LLS alumnus Joel Wolf ’02, who both told him that a JD was an important part of becoming a successful agent.
New to the industry, Myers took this advice to heart but wanted to continue his momentum in the field. Acting on Wolf’s recommendation to keep his career moving while obtaining a great legal education, Myers enrolled in Loyola’s Evening Program. Loyola was one of only a few schools in the region offering a part-time program, and he was impressed with how many agents in the industry recognized LLS as a great training ground in the sports-law arena.
Maintaining a full-time work schedule as well as a full load of classes, Myers’ calendar was packed. But he enjoyed his classes and felt they were bringing value to the work he was doing as an agent. “I had Contracts with Professor Lary Lawrence, and he was amazing,” Myers said. “The class really hit home with the types of deals I was negotiating for players and how to structure contracts in the best interests of my clients.” And, of course, he maintains contact with some of his professors, including Laurie Levenson, David W. Burcham Professor of Ethical Advocacy.
The Evening Program required a lot of balance and organization, and Myers credits that with helping him in his life post-graduation. “Being part of the Evening Program was a rewarding experience. Graduating and passing the bar really gave me confidence that you know what you’re doing and that you’re representing clients to the best of your ability.” And being the best is exactly what Myers continued to do as he progressed in his career, working as the vice president of SFX Sports and for the Wasserman Media Group.
Now, as general manager of the Golden State Warriors, Myers draws on his legal background almost every day. In his first few months with the organization, Myers recognized the need to hire full-time counsel to handle organizational issues and the many items related to the new arena the team is building in downtown San Francisco. And now that he is on the other side of the negotiating table from the athletes, those many hours spent in Contracts class still are paying off.
Myers also remembers the pro bono work he did as a student at LLS. He participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, providing help with tax preparation to lower-income families.
The spirit of social justice he cultivated as a student remains with him today. He is proud to be working for an organization in his home base of the Bay Area that is supporting several community efforts and outreach throughout the region.
And in his spare time—when he’s not making draft decisions at 4 a.m. in the middle of June—you can find Myers spending time with his wife and two little girls and hopefully trying to catch a full night’s sleep. When he can, Myers and his family enjoy traveling.
Looking to the future, Myers is excited to lead the Warriors into a new era and be part of building a team the Bay Area can be proud of. With many pieces falling into place for the Warriors, Myers is excited about his first full season as general manager and continues to grow and learn the many intricacies of the professional sports industry.