Respected AFL executive to join NBA in senior role
The NBA has lured one of the AFL's most respected executives who's set to move to New York later this year in a senior position with the company.
Pat Clifton, who works closely with the AFL's General Manager of Football Operations Steve Hocking, has been headhunted by the NBA and will join the league as an associate vice-president in the player health team according to a report from SEN.
Clifton was instrumental in bringing the AFL back during the COVID-19 shutdown period, helping to construct the many lengthy documents that governed the AFL's biosecurity protocols during the lockdown and return-to-play.
The 37-year-old was part of a return-to-play committee put together by Hocking which included Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Getty
The NBA officially wrapped up its 2019-2020 season last month with the LA Lakers crowned champions.
The back end of the regular season, as well as the playoffs and finals series, was played out in a bubble environment at Walt Disney World near Orlando.
"The NBA had a really successful season in the bubble and now with the return to market, their team is expanding pretty rapidly," he told SEN.
"It's a whole new challenge."
In previous years, Clifton worked with the AFL on concussion research and was also involved with the tribunal and match review panel. He has so far been with the AFL for eight years.
