Undergraduate - Basketball and Events Intern

National Basketball Association (NBA); New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is seeking participants for its 2027 Summer Internship, a 10-week program running June 7–August 13, 2027. Interns will learn about the business of basketball, develop career skills, and contribute to projects across NBA departments and affiliate leagues.

Selected interns will support events, league operations, and basketball programs, with opportunities to work on international initiatives and marquee events such as the NBA Draft and Summer League.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in an undergraduate program and entering Senior year in the academic year following the internship.
• Majors include Business Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Operations, Sports Administration, Sports Business, Sports Marketing.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to cross‑functional strategy and operations with technology and innovation teams.
• Monitor activities across leagues, including game operations and arena standards.
• Support team travel processes, hotel and transportation standards, and player experience.
• Support NBA Summer League programming and on-site activations for affiliate league partners.
• Assist in season-long retail and marketing strategies for affiliate leagues.
• Support Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA and NBA International programming.
• Conduct field research on sports tech trends and new products.

Skills

Project management

AI technologies

UX/UI marketing

presentation/facilitation

Strong communication

Education

Undergraduate student entering senior year

Majors: Business/ Economics/ Entrepreneurship/ Finance/ International Business/ Operations/ Sports Administration/ Sports Business/ Sports Marketing

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

Position Summary

The 2027 NBA Summer Internship is a 10-week program that runs from June 7 – August 13, 2027. The program gives participants the opportunity to learn about the business of basketball, develop critical career skills, and contribute to meaningful projects across a range of departments in the NBA and its affiliate leagues (WNBA & G League). In addition to on-the-job experience, interns are invited to participate in a broad array of professional development programming as well as community and social experiences.

The program prioritizes rising seniors, with limited exceptions for graduate students, based on business need.

Interns should reflect excellent academic standing and have strong written and verbal communication skills. Additionally, we look for candidates who possess leadership skills as demonstrated through relevant extracurricular or community activities.

More information on the Summer Internship program experience can be found here.

Role Overview

Selected interns will support key aspects of our basketball ecosystem, including events, league operations, and basketball programs. Interns may support international initiatives and marquee events, such as the NBA Draft and Summer League, as well as other operations-based functions in support of the on-court basketball experience.

Past interns have worked across a range of departments, including:

• Global Basketball Operations, which is responsible for overseeing and enforcing the policies, procedures and administration that govern the playing of the game. This includes managing on-court activities, developing playing rules and enforcing player conduct standards. The department works closely with all 30 teams, their front offices, coaching staff and players to protect, enhance and advance the sport globally.
• Global Events, which supports marquee and media-driven events to deliver compelling live experiences, build fan-centric programming and unlock new business opportunities for the commercial growth of the NBA overall.
• Social Responsibility & Player Programs (SRPP), which leads the NBA’s efforts in social impact, player development and marketing, and community engagement. The department also advances social impact & inclusion, corporate philanthropy, social justice and economic opportunity initiatives across the league and its communities.

These roles require interns to demonstrate a foundational mastery of AI technologies in driving project execution and achieving business objectives.

Major Responsibilities

May include, but not limited to:

• Contributing to ad-hoc cross-functional strategy and operations with our technology and innovation teams
• Monitoring activities across various leagues, including game operations, arena standards, and game rules implementation
• Supporting the team travel process, with a specific focus on team compliance, hotel & transportation standards, and improving player experience
• Supporting NBA Summer League programming
• Supporting on-site activations for affiliate league partners, including week-to-week project management and event support
• Supporting season-long retail and marketing strategies for the affiliate leagues
• Supporting Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA and NBA International programming, including school-based programs, tournaments, and development clinics
• Conducting field research to understand sports technology trends and new products/technologies to enhance the game of basketball

Required Education & Professional Experience

• Enrolled in an undergraduate program and entering Senior year in the academic year following the internship.
• These roles are open to all but typically best suited for individuals in the following majors: Business Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Operations, Sports Administration, Sports Business, Sports Marketing.

Preferred Skills & Knowledge Attributes

• Passion for basketball, the NBA and its affiliate leagues
• Strong understanding of the global basketball landscape
• Strong project management skills (data measurement, attention to detail, etc.)
• Experience with website and digital/social content design and UX/UI marketing
• Skilled facilitator and presenter
• Demonstrated software proficiency (Microsoft Office, etc.) and ability to learn new computer programs
• Experience using AI technologies and platforms to organize and accomplish tasks

Salary Range

$26/hr

Job Posting Title

Summer Intern

Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; short-term disability; mental health coaching/therapy; and sick time.

Eligibility Note

Not all positions are eligible for these benefits; eligibility may vary by role.

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status, Familial Status, Status As A Victim Of Domestic Violence Or Any Other Status Or Characteristic Protected By Applicable Federal, State, Or Local Law.

About The NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2025-26 season featured a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. The NBA's digital assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms. The NBA's Tap to Watch provides seamless access to local, national and global live game telecasts via the NBA App, NBA.com, third-party digital platforms and NBA partner platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA's global social impact platform, drives change on issues facing fans and communities in the areas of health and wellness, civic engagement, social justice and inclusion, and sustainability.