The San Antonio Spurs are making more late-season changes. This time, however, it's within the organization.
Peter Holt announced his retirement as the Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO and Chairman Wednesday, positions he's held for 20 years. His wife, Julianna Hawn Holt will take over both roles within the organization.
From a Spurs' press release:
Spurs Sports & Entertainment today announced that Peter M. Holt has retired as the organization’s Chairman and CEO and that Julianna Hawn Holt will assume both roles. Peter has held the position since 1996 when the Holts became the largest shareholder in San Antonio Spurs, LLC. Peter will remain on the organization’s board of managers and continue as part of the ownership group while Julianna will become the team’s Governor on the NBA’s Board of Governors.
“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the last two decades,” said Peter Holt. “The championships are wonderful, bringing new sports franchises to San Antonio is important but the biggest accomplishment for me will always be the impact we’ve had in our community. The pride, support and love that our city has for the Spurs is truly amazing.”
Under the Holts’ leadership, the team has become one of the premier franchises in North American sports. The Spurs have captured five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014) while qualifying for the playoffs 19 straight seasons. The 2015-16 Spurs have a 54-10 record, the best mark to start a season in franchise history, and are a perfect 30-0 at home, which is the third best home record to start a season in NBA history.
“Our ownership in the Spurs has always been a family affair,” said Julianna Hawn Holt. “For many years I’ve had the desire to take a more active role with Spurs Sports & Entertainment. We felt this was the right time to make this transition. We are very excited about the current Spurs season and the future of the organization.”
While this is a stunning change, it also doesn't appear to be a drastic one.
As the release notes, Holt will still be associated with the Spurs, continuing on as the team's owner and remaining on their board of managers. And as the same time as the release, the Spurs posted a story on their website about Julianna, which highlights how instrumental she was in having the AT&T Center built and her strong business expertise. So she definitely has the background, experience and knowledge for the position. Plus with her husband being the former CEO and Chairman, she has the perfect person to bounce ideas off. Imagine a House of Cards scenario but a lot more realistic and less manipulating.
Holt was successful as an owner because he allowed the team's management to simply do their job and get things done. He wasn't known as a meddler and rarely voiced his opinion in the media unlike some other team owners. Now his wife is taking over. She is just a new person in charge who very likely will keep the Spurs following the same path her husband put them on.
