It was the easiest “yes” of his career after Riccardi was denied 89 times by NBA teams for three years straight, he told The News in 2022, before former Nets executive Bobby Marks offered him the unpaid role. The big move coincided with three consecutive seasons of losing for the then-
New Jersey Nets, but it was valuable on-the-job training for Riccardi, who learned the ropes under Marks and current general manager Sean Marks [no relation]. Once his internship ended, he officially joined the organization in 2010 as a basketball operations assistant. Over 13 years, Riccardi gained high-level experience in a variety of scouting and management responsibilities for the Nets, who, like the Mavericks, underwent significant changes. Brooklyn relocated from New Jersey and had three ownership changes, four general managers and 11 head coaches (six full-time and five interim), which is how Riccardi crossed paths with Kidd and Andrew Baker, now the Mavericks’ vice president of basketball strategy and analytics.
Dallas Morning News
