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Jamila Wideman

Lecturer, Sports Management; Senior Vice President of Player Development, NBA

As Senior Vice President of Player Development for the National Basketball Association (NBA), Jamila Wideman manages the league's initiatives that promote the personal, professional and social development of NBA players. She is responsible for NBA programs designed to orientate and educate rookies during their transition into the league and advises team directors on overall player development, including best practices for managing off-the-court player matters. Wideman also leads year-long programs assisting players in continuing education, financial management and career transition throughout their NBA careers and beyond.

Wideman is a former WNBA player and was selected third overall in the 1997 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks and played four seasons in the league. A former student-athlete at Stanford University where her teams competed in 3 NCAA Final-Fours, she also played professionally in Israel and Spain. During her WNBA career, Wideman founded the Stanford Athletic Alliance and Hoopin’ with Jamila, a youth mentoring program.

Before joining the NBA, she worked as an attorney at the Equal Justice Initiative and the Civil Division of The Legal Aid Society, providing representation to incarcerated and death-sentenced individuals and low-income populations facing eviction. Wideman graduated from New York University Law School.

Education

  • J.D., New York University