After nearly seven years serving as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Cynt Marshall announced plans to retire. Come Jan. 1, her presence will no longer grace the halls at the Mavericks front office, but she’ll leave behind a lasting legacy that has transformed the organization and inspired countless individuals across the sports world and beyond.
A Trailblazer in Leadership
In 2018, then majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, hired former AT&T executive Cynt Marshall in a historic move that made her the NBA’s first Black woman to hold the CEO title.
In an uphill battle to reshape the team’s workplace culture, Marshall used her authentic and empathetic approach to unite the organization and lead the team toward a brighter future that prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), positioning the Mavs as a model for teams across the league.
“I came into this role in 2018, so when someone told me I was the first [Black female CEO in the NBA], I said, ‘Maybe I’m the first, but I won’t be the last, and I’m going to try to do a great job so nobody even thinks twice about having somebody who looks like me in a job like this,’ and one day we won’t even be talking about it.
“Fortunately, we’ve done a good job, and when I walk out, there are two other people who look just like me who are CEOs of an NBA team, so I might be the first, but I am not walking out the last.”
Transforming Culture
Under Marshall’s leadership, the Mavericks maintained profitability, were decorated with awards and saw success on the court. Still, for much of the Mavericks staff, the largest impact can be felt in the transformed workplace culture.
“My job as a leader is to serve people, to serve our employees, to serve the fans, to serve my boss who’s investing in this team, to serve the business community, the sponsors, etcetera,” said Marshall.
“For me to consider myself an effective leader, I needed to do three things exceptionally well— listen to the people, learn from the people, and love the people.”
From day one, she took strides to ensure the staff felt valued and respected, swiftly implementing her CRAFTS— Character, Respect, Authenticity, Fairness, Teamwork and Safety— which have acted as the team’s guiding principles in its new era.
Community Champion
The Mavs Foundation has soared to new heights in its philanthropic efforts under the guidance of a CEO who’s lived the experience of growing up in far-less-than-ideal circumstances but, with her math book and bible in hand, paved a path forward built on her sheer determination to make the world a better place.
Marshall has been the ultimate cheerleader for the Mavs Foundation and community outreach team, often providing support with a boots-on-the-ground approach that allows her to touch the community.
“The Dallas community has taught me they will embrace you, even if you are not from Dallas. They are all about people. Honestly, some days I feel like I was born here because of how I’ve been embraced and how the Mavs are embraced,” said Marshall.
“I am just in awe of how the community rallies together. Whatever the challenge, we rise to the occasion in Dallas.”
A precedent has been established that will remain long after her departure— the Dallas Mavericks, from the players on the court to the entire front office staff, are rooted in this community.
A Legacy to Celebrate
As she says farewell to the Mavs, Marshall’s impact will remain. Even though her work is finished, she feels the journey is just beginning for the Mavericks, who will continue to thrive atop the strong foundation Marshall laid.
“Yes, I have accomplished what I believe the Lord sent me here to do,” said Marshall about her time with the Mavericks. “Has the organization accomplished everything? No. I believe we are a standard and a model for all professional sports teams, so I want to see us take our brand to a whole new level. We are charting our own course.
“The business plan is baked, and I will pass it off to my successor [Rick Welts], who will grab that baton and take it to the next level. So, the work is not done. The work will never be done. We will always strive to achieve more, and I’m excited about that, but when I pass off the baton, I can say, I left this place better than I found it.”
Looking Ahead
Though Marshall’s time with the Mavericks will end, she will be at the very beginning of a new chapter in her life.
A new chapter filled with endless opportunities that she’s calling the “3B Phase” for Books, Boards and Better— a new mantra that will guide her on a journey to author two more books, dig into her work as a board member for several organizations, and leave the world better than she found it by serving under-championed children and families.
The Dallas Mavericks will prepare for a new chapter too, one without Cynt Marshall at the helm, but one filled with gratitude for her unwavering leadership that changed the organization and inspired the broader community.
Thank you for everything, Cynt. You will forever be part of the Dallas Mavericks family.
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