The New York Knicks are adding one of the biggest names in the NBA to the front office: William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley.
First reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks are hiring William Wesley, also known as “Worldwide Wes,” as executive vice president/senior advisor to team president Leon Rose. The Knicks confirmed the hire in a team statement.
“We are very excited to announce the hiring of William Wesley, someone that I have known for over 40 years and consider to be family,” Rose said. “He is one of the most well-connected and respected people in the basketball community and he will be a tremendous asset and resource to both myself and the New York Knicks.”
Rose and Wesley have longstanding connections from their time at Creative Artists Agency together. Worldwide Wes has long been viewed as one of the most influential people around the NBA. GQ once referred to Wesley as the “most powerful man in sports.”
“My long history with and respect for Jim Dolan and Leon Rose, as well as the chance to be part of the New York Knicks made this an opportunity I wanted to pursue,” Wesley said. “I look forward to joining the current staff and moving the organization toward a successful future.”
Very early on after Rose was hired by the Knicks, there were rumors that Wesley would be joining him. Those rumors fizzled out fairly quickly, reportedly due to conflicting business interests, but it’s clear that things have changed.
What does this mean for the Knicks? Well, for one, they are adding another basketball lifer to a strong front office. Rose recently hired Brock Aller, Frank Zanin, and Walt Perrin, while retaining Scott Perry as the general manager.
In the team’s statement, the Knicks also announced the hires of Alex Kline and TJ Zanin as scouts. This accomplished group of executives and scouts will only improve with Wesley walking through the door.