The NBA Foundation opens applications for the 2027 HBCU Fellowship

Applications for the

NBA Foundation’s 2027 HBCU Fellowship

are officially open, giving the next generation of changemakers valuable opportunities and a firsthand look at the league’s inner workings.

Heading into its sixth year, the fellowship is a paid summer internship that gives undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) hands-on experience in the business of basketball across the NBA League Office, NBA Teams and affiliates and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Members of the HBCU Fellowship Class of 2026 during orientation week.

Over the course of 10 weeks (June 7-August 13, 2027), fellows will work on projects and initiatives while developing professional skills, building valuable industry connections and gaining experiences that can help jumpstart their careers.

Management Leadership for Tomorrow

(MLT), an NBA Foundation nonprofit partner, helped drive strong results for the HBCU Fellowship Program in 2026 by providing personalized coaching and guidance to help students navigate the application process and showcase their strengths. The organization’s stewardship ultimately helped the NBA Foundation select a standout group of fellows, furthering its commitment to grow career pipelines for HBCU students.

“The NBA HBCU Fellowship provided the confidence I was searching for to pursue my dreams of pursuing a career in sports,” said 2026 HBCU fellowship alum Daymond Johnson. “After concluding my two-year rotation in finance, I will be making that pivot because of the fellowship.”

The fellowship offers career opportunities across numerous departments, including Business Operations and Strategy, Digital Content and Marketing, Human Resources, among others. To succeed across these diverse areas,

HBCU fellowship alumni

emphasize the importance of being a sponge, embracing a team-first mentality and always being willing to lend a helping hand wherever needed.

“Approach the experience with a consultant mindset: understand the team’s challenges, who they affect, and how you can create solutions that make their work easier,” exclaimed 2026 HBCU fellowship alumna Khanae Miller.

Since the start of the program, 27% of HBCU Fellowship alumni have gone on to work in NBA team and league offices.

Applications

for the fellowship close Nov. 30; you can email

nbahbcufellowship@mlt.org

with any questions.