Suns add Babby to front office

Basketball Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns introduced Lon Babby as the organization's next president of basketball operations at a news conference on Tuesday.

Babby joins the Suns as the successor to Steve Kerr, whose contract was not renewed and has since re-joined TNT as a game analyst. The Arizona Republic earlier reported the club is still likely to hire a new general manager. Kerr wore both hats during his tenure with the club, first joining the Suns as part-owner and consultant in 2004 before taking the reins as president and general manager in June 2007.

The addition of Babby to Phoenix's front office is a seldom-followed path, as the 59-year-old served as a player agent and practiced sports law for nearly 35 years with Williams & Connolly LLP. Most notably, Babby represented Suns forward Grant Hill, Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Rockets forward Shane Battier and Celtics guard Ray Allen after entering into player representation in 1994.

"Our organization is fortunate to have someone of Lon's experience and talent to head-up our basketball staff," said Suns managing partner Robert Sarver. "He brings with him a unique set of skills and a great reputation in the business."

Babby has also represented numerous professional baseball players and has served as club counsel, then general counsel for the Washington Redskins (1977-1980) and Baltimore Orioles (1979-1994). In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

A graduate of Lehigh University and Yale Law School, Babby becomes only the fourth basketball president in the team's 43-year history.

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