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NBA Union Enlists Private Equity Alum Cameron Jones As New CFO

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: A detail of the NBA Players Association logo with the slogan " THe Players' Union FIghting for You" is seen on Theo Ratliff of the Los Angeles Lakers as Derek Fisher, President of the National Basketball Players Association, speaks at a press conference after NBA labor negotiations at The Westin Times Square on October 4, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) (Patrick McDermott/Photographer: Patrick McDermott/)

(Bloomberg) -- The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has hired Great Hill Partners alum Cameron Jones as the union’s new chief financial officer. Outside of Great Hill, Jones also worked at Storyblocks, a video creation company and the Spotify-owned Megaphone, an audio and podcasting business.

The incoming executive’s background in media was a key reason for his hiring, according to NBPA acting executive director Andre Iguodala, who announced the hire in a statement on Wednesday.

“Cameron’s decades of experience and success in financial leadership within the evolving media and technology sectors make him an excellent addition to our team,” Iguodala said in the statement.

Jones enters the union shortly after the NBA agreed to a new media deal worth $76 billion over the course of 11 years. The agreement will see NBA player salaries — which are calculated in relation to basketball-related income — balloon to even larger sums. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in July agreed to a 5-year, $315 million extension, the highest in NBA history. The mark could be surpassed by Luka Dončić, who will be eligible for a five-year, $346 million deal next summer.

The incoming CFO received his degree from Morehouse College and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. He credited Iguodala, a recent NBA retiree and former NBA champion, as a key person drawing him to the role. Iguodala has been in his current role since November and, like Jones, has experience in both the investment and online media worlds.

“In private equity, there is a very clear profit motive whereas with the association we are mission-driven,” Jones said in a phone interview. “My responsibility is to shape the financial and operational framework for the organization and make sure we’re amplifying the voices of the NBA players.”

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