| San Antonio Spurs | |
|---|---|
| Position | Chief executive officer |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1960-05-16)May 16, 1960 (age 65) Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Texas A&M (1979–1980) |
| Coaching career | 1983–1994 |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
| 1983–1988 | Kansas (assistant) |
| 1988–1992 | San Antonio Spurs (assistant) |
| 1992–1993 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 1993–1994 | Florida (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Robert Canterbury Buford (born May 16, 1960) is an American basketball executive who is the CEO of theSan Antonio Spurs of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He was named general manager in 2002 after five seasons serving as team president. Buford is also the president of sports franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Buford has won theNBA Executive of the Year award twice, for the 2013–14 and 2015–16 seasons, before his promotion to CEO prior to the start of the 2019–20 season.
Buford's father, Bob, was a successful oilman and rancher inWichita, Kansas.[1]
Buford spent two seasons as a walk-on for theTexas A&M Aggies.[1] He transferred to theOklahoma State Cowboys in 1980.[1] Buford sat out the 1980–81 season and then suffered eight broken ribs in a car crash, ending his playing career.[citation needed]
Buford graduated fromFriends University with aBachelor of Science in management.[2]
Buford started his coaching career in 1983 as an assistant with theKansas Jayhawks.[3] He spent five seasons with the team and was a member of the coaching staff when the Jayhawks won the 1988 NCAA championship.[3]
Buford first joined the Spurs in the summer of 1988 as an assistant coach onLarry Brown's staff. He spent four seasons as an assistant with the Spurs, including the 1989–90 and 1990–91 seasons when the team captured back-to-back Midwest Division titles. In the summer of 1992, he became the number-one assistant for Brown with theLos Angeles Clippers. He spent one season with the Clippers before moving to theUniversity of Florida for the 1993–94 season.
Spurs general managerGregg Popovich then hired Buford as the Spurs' head scout in the summer of 1994 and he has been with the team since that time. In the summer of 1997 he was named the Spurs' director of scouting, and then two years later in 1999 was promoted to the position of assistant general manager. He was named general manager in 2002.
Buford has won five NBA championships with the Spurs (1999,2003,2005,2007,2014), four as general manager (2003,2005,2007,2014).
Buford won the 2013–14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award on May 7, 2014,[4] and later won the same honor for the 2015–16 season.[5]
On July 23, 2019, the Spurs announced Buford will be promoted from general manager to CEO for the Spurs, effective September 3. His previous role will be filled by assistant general manager Brian Wright.[6]
His son Chase played basketball for theKansas Jayhawks and was the head coach of theNBL team, theSydney Kings. He is currently an assistant coach at Kansas.[7] His daughter C.C., who played golf for theCollege of Charleston, now coaches atEast Carolina University.[8]
Buford metBill Self when he served as Self's host during a recruiting visit atOklahoma State University in 1981.[1] Buford has called Self his best friend.[1]