National Basketball Association

Study: NBA maintains strong diversity numbers

Published Jun. 24, 2014 1:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The NBA remains the leader in diversity among professional sports leagues.

According to a report released Tuesday, the NBA received an A-plus grade for racial hiring and B-plus for gender hiring on its annual Racial and Gender Report Card. The league received an overall grade of A.

This is the sixth consecutive overall A grade the NBA has received in the annual report by the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

With Michael Jordan the Charlotte Hornets' majority owner and Vivek Ranadive the new controlling owner of the Sacramento Kings, the NBA is the first major pro league to have two owners of color.

The league set records this season with assistant coaches of color at 46.7 percent and 48.4 percent of its referees.