Leibsohn now serves as manager of basketball strategy and legal affairs for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. He discovered his passion for the inner workings of the sports world while in Marquette University Law School’s sports law program, both through classes and an internship with the Milwaukee Bucks. While building a network within NBA operations, he realized the best way to land a coveted basketball operations job was to prepare sample work demonstrating his skills and value to a franchise. He did exactly that while practicing as a family law attorney in his native Arizona.
Six years and over 1,000 pages of legal work later, Leibsohn received the chance to live out his professional dream. He accepted a temporary position with the Spurs, helping the front office with internal team building and external matters such as free agency, the draft, and trades. He also got involved in ensuring compliance with league regulations and negotiating vendor contracts.
“I bet on myself as all I was promised was a one-year internship, and as an intern, I tried to maximize every day by adding value to our basketball operations group,” he explains.
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Leibsohn says that some of his most memorable times with the Spurs came during his internship when he gained scouting and communication skills from coworkers, including Spurs General Manager Brian Wright. Leibsohn accompanied Wright on a three-hour road trip to scout players at Texas A&M. Besides setting a personal record for hours driven, Leibsohn developed his relationship with a seasoned basketball operations professional and learned tricks of his new trade.
Now in his second year in San Antonio, Leibsohn hopes to continue his professional growth with the Spurs. However, he still roots for his hometown Phoenix Suns on occasion — “as long as the Suns aren’t playing the Spurs,” he adds.
