VESTAL, N.Y. — Binghamton Athletics has appointed Ron Klempner '84, one of the nation's most respected sports labor attorneys and a distinguished Binghamton University alumnus, as the Division's General Manager for Basketball.
 
The newly created, honorary position reflects Binghamton Athletics' continued commitment to providing both its men's and women's basketball programs with the resources needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving landscape of Division I athletics. As college athletics continues to adapt to changes involving Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), revenue sharing, and the transfer portal, the General Manager role will help align strategic planning, student-athlete support, and long-term program development for the basketball programs' sustained competitive success.
 
In this role, Klempner will volunteer his time to work alongside the Division's leadership, coaching staffs, and campus partners to provide strategic guidance on roster management, revenue-sharing implementation, NIL strategy, professional development, and student-athlete opportunities while helping position both basketball programs for long-term success.
 
A nationally recognized leader in professional basketball, Klempner has served with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) since 1993 and currently serves as Senior Counsel, Labor Relations. During his more than three decades with the NBPA, Klempner has helped shape some of the most consequential labor agreements in professional sports, playing a leading role in seven rounds of collective bargaining, including the 1995, 1998, and 2011 lockouts and the NBA's 2020 "bubble" restart. Most recently, he helped negotiate the league's 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to provide nearly $50 billion in player salaries and benefits over its seven-year term.
 
"Ron brings unparalleled experience and credibility to our basketball programs," said Eugene Marshall Jr., Director of Athletics. "His understanding of professional basketball, labor relations, player development, and the business of sports will provide tremendous value to our student-athletes and coaching staffs. Just as importantly, Ron is a proud Binghamton graduate who believes deeply in this University and what we are building."
 
"I am so honored to play a role in helping shape the future of Binghamton basketball," Klempner said.  "Ever since I served as Pipe Dream beat writer for our men's team, I've felt a deep allegiance to the basketball program, and now with the seismic shift in the landscape of college sports, there is a real opportunity to come back and give back.  I believe in what this program represents and the culture that continues to grow at Binghamton."
 
Beyond his work with the NBPA, Klempner has played a significant role in advancing labor rights across professional basketball. He helped organize the Women's National Basketball Players Association in 1998 and has participated in many rounds of WNBA collective bargaining. He also helped lead the effort to unionize NBA G League players and served on the negotiating team that reached the first collective bargaining agreement for the Next Gen Basketball Players Union in 2025.
 
A 1984 graduate of Binghamton University, Klempner earned his Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University before receiving his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Hofstra Law Review. He began his legal career as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit before joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he practiced under renowned sports labor attorneys Jim Quinn and Jeff Kessler.
 
Klempner's appointment underscores Binghamton Athletics' strategic investment in the future of its basketball programs and its commitment to providing student-athletes with the expertise, resources, and support needed to excel in today's evolving collegiate athletics environment.