Dennis Lindsey is an American professional basketball executive who currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After holding the role of General Manager of the Utah Jazz from 2012 to 2019, Lindsey was then promoted to Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in May 2019 up until the start of the 2021 season, where he later stepped down.[1] He joined the Mavericks as an advisor in 2023.
| Detroit Pistons | |
|---|---|
| Position | Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 1969 (age 54–55) |
Education
editLindsey graduated from Baylor University in 1992 and U.S. Sports Academy in 1994.[2] He played college basketball for Baylor's basketball team as a guard.[3]
Career
editLindsey joined the Houston Rockets during the summer of 1996 as a video coordinator and scout and worked his way up the team's management ladder. He was named the Rockets's director of basketball development in 1998 and was promoted to director of player personnel in 1999. Lindsey was then elevated to the position of vice president of basketball operations/player personnel in 2002. He then became the team's assistant general manager.
He was then an assistant general manager for the San Antonio Spurs from 2007 to 2012. After that, Lindsey became the general manager of the Utah Jazz.
On June 25, 2024, Lindsey was named Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.[4]
Allegations
editIn February 2021, Jazz player Elijah Millsap alleged on Twitter that Lindsey made racist remarks to him in 2015.[5] Within days of the allegations, Lindsey categorically denied making the remark, and Quin Snyder — the Jazz head coach — noted:
"Honestly, I don’t remember the conversation. I can’t fathom Dennis saying something like that.”[6]
In March 2021, the National Basketball Association announced that it was "unable to establish" whether or not Millsap's version of events was accurate. In the announcement, The NBA noted that all meeting participants were interviewed as part of their investigation. The meeting included: Lindsey, Millsap, Snyder, and Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik.[7]
In April 2021, Millsap was quoted standing by his allegations against Lindsey, even after the NBA was unable to conclude whether or not the events took place.[8]
In the summer of 2021 Lindsey stepped down from his position as executive vice president of basketball operations and transitioned to an advisory role. [9]
References
edit- ^ "Jazz rework front office, promote Zanik to GM". May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ "Jazz Names Dennis Lindsey as General Manager; Kevin O'Connor to Continue as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "Utah Jazz: Dennis Lindsey, Kevin O'Connor to team in expanded Jazz brain trust". ESPN.com. August 7, 2012. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Sankofa II, Omari (June 25, 2024). "Detroit Pistons nab former Mavericks exec Dennis Lindsey for front office role". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "NBA launches investigation into alleged comments made by Dennis Lindsey to former Utah Jazz player Elijah Millsap, who spoke with the Deseret News about his experience". Deseret News. December 20, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ "Former Jazz player accuses Dennis Lindsey of using bigoted language; Lindsey 'categorically' denies it". Deseret News. December 20, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Staff, The Athletic. "NBA 'unable to establish' whether Jazz executive made bigoted remark in 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Staff, The Athletic. "Elijah Millsap stands by accusation against Jazz exec Dennis Lindsey". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ "Dennis Lindsey resigns from running Jazz front office". nba.nbcsports.com. NBC Universal. June 28, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.