Executive Perspective: Sabrina Ellis

Sabrina Ellis knows what it takes to build a winning team. As chief people officer of the NBA, Ellis applies the same principles that drive success on the basketball court — communication, trust, and a shared commitment to excellence — to the league’s behind-the-scenes workforce. Ellis’ background includes nearly two decades of HR leadership at top universities, including NYU and George Washington University. Since 2023, she has played a key role in shaping the culture and employee experience at one of the most influential brands in sports. 

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What brought you to the field of HR?  

ELLIS: I love seeing people and organizations thrive. I’ve always been fascinated by people and equally intrigued by the constantly evolving nature of work. HR is the perfect intersection of both. At the NBA, it’s incredible to see how people drive all aspects of what we do, from the players to the coaches to the team and league staff, our partners, and — most importantly — our fans.

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What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your professional or personal life? 

ELLIS: Overcoming the fear of being wrong. Mistakes aren’t just inevitable, they are often essential for growth and development. I’ve long ago moved away from waiting for leaders to tell me what they want from an HR perspective and moved toward becoming more comfortable putting ideas out there.

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What is your leadership philosophy?   

ELLIS: In my view, it’s always the right time to do the right thing. It might sound cliche, but showing up and truly being present is one of the simplest yet most powerful elements of leadership. Being where your people are, seeing the many ways they make things happen, understanding their challenges, and holding myself to the same standards I expect from others is core to how I try to lead.

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What’s your favorite question to ask a candidate when hiring?

ELLIS: “When was the last time you received critical feedback, and what was it?” I believe the most successful hires are those who are coachable. 

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How do you build alignment and connection with others in the C-suite? 

ELLIS: Alignment is easier when everyone agrees, although that’s rarely the case. In many situations, comfort levels around adopting change can vary. I take time to understand and research current practices, engage leaders on areas of agreement, and build consensus on next steps. I try to make sure everyone is involved in our HR planning across all C-suite roles. Our commissioner, Adam Silver, is very involved from ideation to execution, and our C-suite leaders are highly engaged. When leaders see positive results, it fosters trust and builds confidence in future decisions.   

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Which HR initiative that you’ve led are you most proud of? 

ELLIS: It’s tough to pick one. Bearing in mind that everything in HR is a team effort, I’m very proud of the results we’ve seen at the NBA, WNBA, and all of our leagues around employee engagement. We’ve seen some impressive gains in this area. The work we’ve done around culture, internal communication, and employee development has really paid off. 

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What is the one piece of advice that shaped you the most as a leader? 

ELLIS: “Surround yourself with people who have the courage to tell you the truth.” I’m going to give a second one: “If you say you’re going to do something, do it.”   

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How do you personally recharge outside of work? 

ELLIS: I enjoy spending time outdoors as much as possible. I especially love reading. I love a mix of fiction and nonfiction. We have two young kids who have now started to develop their own love of books. We set aside time each week to read together, and it’s something we truly enjoy. When I travel, we continue the tradition over FaceTime with snacks and acting out the characters. This time with my family is the highlight of my week.