Former Joint Chiefs chairman Dempsey appointed NBA adviser

The NBA has appointed General Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as special adviser to commissioner Adam Silver, the league announced Friday.

The NBA has appointed General Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as special adviser to commissioner Adam Silver, the league announced Friday.

In this role, which will begin Jan. 1, 2016, Dempsey will attend NBA events and meetings. He will also be charged with providing support to the NBA’s military and youth basketball initiatives, and will serve as the chairman of the newly formed Jr. NBA Leadership Council.

“Basketball has always been a favorite sport in my family and, through my relationship with the NBA, I’ve seen firsthand how it can bring people together,” Dempsey said in a press release. “After four decades of service in the United States Armed Forces, I look forward to working with the league to help improve communities and positively impact the children of civilian and military families.”

Dempsey was the highest-ranking U.S. military officer for the past four years before officially retiring in September. During his time as chairman, Dempsey worked closely with the NBA. He supported the NBA’s Hoops for Troops program, which brought basketball clinics to military bases in the United States, and helped Silver launch the Commitment to Service in collaboration with the Department of Defense.

“We are honored to have one of our country’s most respected leaders, as well as a brilliant strategist, serve as our Special Adviser,” Silver said in a press release. “General Dempsey’s unwavering commitment to a life of service reflects the values that we strive to embody as an organization, and I am delighted he will continue his work with the league.”

- Erin Flynn