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Two Miami Heat executives are using their leadership positions to create pathways for the next generation of Black professionals in sports.
Lorenzo Butler, Senior Director of Business Communications, and Garrett Roberts, Senior Product Manager for the Miami Heat, recently discussed on Inside South Florida what it means to be Black men in leadership roles during today's climate.
"I think of responsibility and representation," Butler said. "I think of walking in a room and maybe not seeing faces that look like myself, so holding myself to a higher standard and being responsible with it."
Butler emphasized the importance of integrity in leadership positions, particularly when representation is limited across the league.
Roberts highlighted the significance of exposure for younger generations.
"It's a great way to expose people who are younger than us to the idea that this is possible," Roberts said. "My parents taught me that if you're going to be the first, or if you're going to be one of the only, make sure that you are turning back to help others and give them that exposure to see that anything's possible."
Butler's career has taken him from Kansas City to Sacramento and now Miami, with each market presenting unique challenges and opportunities.
"Every market is different," Butler said. "I've always kind of believed, and I think everybody who is of our culture has been told you have to be twice as good to get just as much."
Butler described his approach to entering new markets with thorough preparation and research, building confidence through work ethic and preparation.
"There's not a room, there's not an organization, there's not a market that I don't belong to," Butler said. "I know because of my work ethic and what's been instilled in me and my family, that I belong in every room."
Both executives work for the Miami Heat, which Butler described as "a very diverse organization" that provides opportunities to see more representation in leadership roles.
For more information, visit nba.com/heat.
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