Roberts says NBA needs to do better job on front-office diversity

National Basketball Players' Association executive director Michele Roberts says that a disconnect has formed in terms of seeing more NBA head coaches and general managers of color.

"The number of veteran players that are available for assistant coaching positions and then ultimately, promotion to coaches is overwhelming," Roberts told ESPN's The Undefeated. "There's so much talent that's not otherwise employed. I had a conversation recently about getting our guys coaching positions with (historically black colleges and universities) because frankly they're not being able to get jobs even at some of the Division I schools they played at."

As of Monday, six of the league's 30 head coaching positions are filled by African-Americans, with two vacancies remaining. There are currently four NBA general managers of color, although that job description varies by organization. More than 74 percent of the league's player population is African-American.

In the 1994-95 season, almost one third of basketball operations positions in the NBA were held by African-Americans.

"There clearly is a dearth in the number of coaches of color and GMs of color, and frankly owners of color," Roberts said. "And so we can't pretend there isn't work to be done."

The league office said earlier this year they are taking steps in that direction, hiring chief diversity and inclusion officer, Oris Stuart.

Roberts added that one area players sometimes bring up to her is ownership. While the NBA is further ahead of virtually all other global sports leagues in terms of diversity in that department, many feel a true balance should begin at the top.

"It's something that the players do on occasion bring to my attention," she said. "I would be at least as interested in seeing us figuring out if there is something we can do as a players association, or even if it's just something informally, to do something about the amount of ... ownership of color. Because I frankly feel the tone is set at the top."

There are presently two majority owners of color in the NBA - Michael Jordan of the Charlotte Hornets and Vivek Ranadive of the Sacramento Kings. Yet with the average value of 30 franchises estimated at $1.2 billion, it's a very exclusive club to begin with. As player salaries have skyrocketed over the past two decades, stars are retiring far wealthier than their predecessors. Beyond Jordan, some, like Shaquille O'Neal, have purchased minority stakes in teams - the Kings, in his case. In the long run, that will be a trend worth watching in this area.