Cynthia ‘Cynt’ Marshall, The History-Making Maverick, Announces Retirement

Cynthia 'Cynt' Marshall, the first Black woman CEO of an NBA franchise, is retiring after six impactful years with the Dallas Mavericks.

Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, chief executive officer of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, announced her retirement effective December 1, 2024, ESPN reports.

In 2018, Marshall made history when she was named the first Black woman CEO of an NBA franchise. The Mavericks announced her departure on the team’s website on Oct. 8.

She will work as a consultant during through 2025.

“Bringing Cynt to the Mavericks six years ago was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made,” said Mark Cuban, the Mavericks’ minority owner, in a statement. “She has led this organization to new heights with grace and integrity, and her light will continue to shine bright throughout the community. Thank you, Cynt.”

Cuban, then the Mavericks’ owner, hired Marshall in 2018.

Before Marshall helped the Mavericks ascend to new heights she was a retired businesswoman. Marshall was senior vice president of human resources and the chief diversity officer at AT&T before she left corporate America in 2017.

Her respite was short-lived. The Mavericks was embroiled in scandal. Complaints of a toxic work environment and sexual harassment plagued the franchise. BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with Marshall two years after she took over the CEO position.

“I walked into a bad culture,” Marshall said then. “I walked into a place where the women were not valued and treated the way I would like to see them treated. Frankly, I think we had a problem with how we respected and treated people of color.”

Marshall did not shy away from the challenge of diversifying and correcting racism and sexism in the organization.

“Under her leadership, she increased diversity by promoting from within and recruiting from outside of the organization,” BE reported.

The Mavs commended Marshall for “her dedication to creating a more equitable workplace [which] has garnered national attention and established the Mavericks as a role model for businesses across the sports industry and beyond.”