498. Former NBA/NCAA Player/Broadcaster Len Elmore

Len Elmore, former NBA player and Senior Lecturer in Sports Management at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, joined the show to discuss the evolving role of athlete activism and the stakes in today’s political and social climate. Elmore has served as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and Fox Sports and has served in the same capacity for CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Tournament and the NBA. He played in the NBA from 1974 to 1984 for various teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks.

In this episode, Elmore gives his take on the current NCAA sports climate regarding NIL money and the transfer portal process. He offered insight into the upcoming Final Four, which features four #1 seeds: Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston. He also discusses how players use social media for activism and whether today’s political moment is reaching a tipping point for athlete-led activism. He also commented on the unprecedented growth of women’s sports and what their future looks like amid DEI challenges.