NBA notes: Warriors extend contracts of GM Bob Myers, COO Rick Welts

Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers and chief operating officer Rick Welts have received multiyear contract extensions.

The Warriors announced the moves Friday. Golden State reached its fifth straight NBA Finals before losing to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 to miss out on a three-peat after winning championships in 2017 and ‘18.

Myers completed his eighth season as GM and third also serving as president of basketball operations.

Ownership chose Hall of Famer Welts to be the driving force behind the plans for new Chase Center in San Francisco, where the Warriors will move next season following 47 years at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Said owner Joe Lacob: “We feel that Rick and Bob are two of the best leaders in professional sports and, quite honestly, in any line of business. Their vision, creativity and humility are characteristics that have enabled the Warriors, and them personally, to accomplish terrific heights in this business.”

Call challenge

NBA coaches likely will be challenging one call per game next season. The league told teams Friday that, pending expected approval by the board of governors on July 9, coaches may challenge a personal foul charged to their team, a called out-of-bounds violation, a goaltending violation or a basket-interference violation. No other call may be challenged.

“We anticipate this rule will be in effect in the NBA next season as a one-year pilot program,” NBA Basketball Operations President Byron Spruell told teams in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press. ESPN first reported the memo’s contents.

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The NBA already has a call-challenge program in place in the G League and tinkered with it during summer league last year. It will be used during all three summer leagues this season — the four-team league in Sacramento and Salt Lake City that open Monday, and the one in Las Vegas that opens July 5.

Unlike the NFL version of a challenge, there’s no flag to be used and teams will not retain them even if successful. A team will have to call timeout and the coach “must immediately signal for a challenge by twirling his/her index finger toward the referees,” the memo said.

A challenge must come immediately after the play and challenges of out-of-bounds calls, goaltending or basket interference will not be permitted in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or the last two minutes of overtime.

Etc.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for Greece at this year’s basketball World Cup in China, saying Friday he can play any position. The Milwaukee Bucks player and NBA MVP said he hasn’t “talked to the coach about which position I’ll be playing the important thing is to play. Whether I play the 1 (point guard) or the 5 (center), I don’t care,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m a basketball player. I want to help the team any way I can.” The World Cup takes place from Aug. 31-Sept. 15 and Greece is one of 32 qualifiers.