🏆 Building Player Programs Inside an NBA Front Office

Harold Hichez is the Director of Player Engagement for the Philadelphia 76ers. He built his path through basketball operations rather than the court itself, working as a team manager in high school, a practice player at Vanderbilt, and eventually a player relations intern with the Milwaukee Bucks, a role that turned into a six year run and multiple promotions to Director of Player Enrichment and Programming. Today his work centers on player engagement, culture, and team operations, with a long term goal of running an NBA team.

From the Sidelines to the Front Office

Harold played basketball throughout his childhood and high school years, but he realized he needed to rely on other skills to make it to the NBA. Toward the end of high school, he became manager of the boys' team.

At Vanderbilt, Harold studied economics and French while also becoming a practice player for the women's basketball team, which he calls the best experience of his college tenure. He learned from several high level basketball professionals there, including coaches who had played in the NBA and WNBA, and says the experience taught him the value of patience and remaining receptive to opportunities.

The Assist That Got Him In

After graduating, Harold was still figuring out his next step. He had experience working with inner city kids in New York City and a deep interest in basketball, and he wanted to get back into the sport. With help from his friend Daniel Marks, now Chief Program Strategist at Howard University Men's Basketball, Harold secured a player relations internship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015. Over the next six years, his dedication and hard work led to multiple promotions, eventually earning him the Director of Player Enrichment and Programming title.

Three Skills That Matter Most

Harold points to three core skills for succeeding as a player representative. First, the ability to make quick decisions that align with the team's short and long term cultural vision. Second, effective communication with anyone in the room, whether that's other front office staff, the CEO, ownership, or a new intern. Third, flexibility and adaptability, since no two days are the same. "You have to be able to adjust to any situation that may arise, especially when it comes to players and their families," he says.

Working Courtside With Superstars

Harold aims to run an NBA team one day, and has positioned himself at the crossroads of player engagement, culture, and the day to day heartbeat of the NBA, building knowledge across basketball operations, scouting, and team operations along the way. Working with high profile athletes brings its own challenges, including conveying tasks and requests that may not align with a player's brand or schedule. Harold says success comes from understanding what makes each player great and helping them improve on and off the court, even after their time with the team, and it's gratifying when players acknowledge that the team took good care of them.

What He'd Tell the Next Generation

Harold encourages anyone pursuing a sports career to focus on a few core attributes: regularly stepping outside your comfort zone, being different rather than a copy of others, always asking why and challenging the norm, truly learning to listen without formulating a response, never settling into contentment, and embracing failure as part of the process. "All successful people have failed many times before succeeding," he says, "so use failure as a stepping stone to success."