NEW YORK — If Dan Gilbert wants to raise the basket height to 12 feet, or have the All-Star ballot printed in Comic Sans font, he can bring it up for discussion with the competition committee.
And now, he can be a part of the discussion, too.
Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was announced Wednesday as one of the new members of the league’s reformulated competition committee — the group that recommends rules changes such as the ones that were put forth at this year’s All-Star weekend changing waiver rules and roster sizes.
Previously, the competition committee was comprised of the general managers from each of the league’s 30 teams. But last month, the league’s Board of Governors voted to change the composition of the committee to include two owners, four general managers, three head coaches and one representative from the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
“The board decided that the inclusion of owners and head coaches on the Competition Committee would add valuable perspectives to discussions about our game and how it might be improved,” said Joel Litvin, NBA president of league operations. “At the same time, we will continue to receive input on competition and rules matters from all 30 teams through the General Managers Committee.”
The members of the new Competition Committee are owners Gilbert and Joe Lacob (Golden State); general managers Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors), Mitch Kupchak (L.A. Lakers), Kevin O’Connor (Utah Jazz), and Sam Presti (Oklahoma City); and coaches Rick Carlisle (Dallas Mavericks), Lionel Hollins (Memphis Grizzlies), and Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics). The NBPA will designate one of its members to serve on the committee.
As is the case currently, if the Competition Committee votes in favor of changing a playing rule or any other competition-related matter, the recommendation will be brought to the Board of Governors for its consideration and vote.
The new committee will meet on a regular basis, and its first meeting will take place during the Finals.