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Barry Mendelson

Career Highlights & Notable Achievements

Career Highlights

  • Mendelson's produced shows have performed in theaters and arenas in every US state and 12 foreign countries

  • Executive VP and GM of the New Orleans Jazz team of the NBA

  • Chairman of Framework Entertainment, a co-producing partner with FOX Sports on Beyond the Glory, a 5-year, 91 show series on FOX Sports Network.  Producer of FOX Sports TV series, "Pistol Pete Basketball Diaries"

  • General Partner of the historical 3,000 seat Saenger Performing Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Presented over 175 theatrical and concert performances per year

  • Executive Vice President of Madison Square Garden.  Responsible for the presentation of live entertainment and sports events in Madison Square Garden, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theater

  • President of On Ice, Inc., presenter of 7 worldwide skating tours, and executive producer of 35 network and syndicated television theatrical skating specials

  • Executive Producer of Ice Capades and The Nutcracker on Ice, domestic and international tours;

  • Executive Producer of the grand opening events in seven major venues, including the Tokyo Dome and the New Orleans Superdome.  

    • December 19, 2009, University of North Carolina vs. University of Texas (attendance 37,500).  The University of North Carolina was the defending NCAA National Champions

  • Presented the first non-football sports event in the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas

  • Co-Owner and President of Ticketmaster Associates

  • Personal Manager for Basketball Legend and NBA Superstar, Jerry West

  • Sports Director at 640 KFI-AM Radio in Los Angeles, California.  Co-host of pre and postgame Los Angeles Lakers' shows

  • Director of Radio, Television, and Advertising for the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings, the Forum Arena

  • Play-by-Play Radio Announcer for the New York Jets, team of the NFL, Radio Network

  • Color Analyst for the New York Giants, a team of the NFL, Radio Network

  • Vice President of the Boston Celtics, team the NBA

  • President of Barry Mendelson Presents

    • Promoter of over 600 rock and roll concerts

    • Exclusive licensee of the closed-circuit TV rights in eleven states for the Sugar Ray Leonard vs Marvin Hagler, middleweight championship fight.  

    • Exclusive licensee of the closed-circuit TV rights in eleven states for the Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks world heavyweight championship fight;

  • Producer and Writer for the nationally syndicated radio shows, The Red Auerbach show and Pro Football Preview starring Pat Summerall

Notable Achievements

  • In 1977 during the NBA Draft in the 7th round, the New Orleans Jazz selected Ms. Lusia Harris, an All-American from Delta State University.  The only woman to ever be selected in the NBA Draft.  Ms. Harris played on the first U.S. Olympic Women's team in 1976 and scored the first basket.  She did not attend the Jazz try-out camp.

  • As Executive Vice President and General Manager of the New Orleans Jazz was the first person in the NBA to sign a free agent, with compensation.  It is notable that this pick from the Jazz was used by the Lakers to sign Earvin Magic Johnson in 1979.

  • As Executive Vice President and General Manager of the New Orleans Jazz, set the first attendance record of over 25,000 people to attend an NBA game.  (November 5, 1975, 26,511 people Jazz vs Lakers).

  • Traded and acquired for the New Orleans Jazz, college basketball's greatest player, "Pistol" Pete Maravich.

  • Created the first courtside VIP seats in the NBA.

  • Promoter of Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks on March 12, 1985, in the game where Larry Bird scored the most points of his career in a single game, sixty.

  • Promoted the largest indoor crowd worldwide to attend a concert.  (The Rolling Stones, December 3, 1981, Louisiana Superdome, 87,599 people).

  • As Executive Vice President and General Manager of the New Orleans Jazz, hired the second African-American NBA Head Coach, Elgin Baylor.

  • Member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame.

  • Established the Ann E. Mendelson Scholarship at the Ithaca College School of Communications.

  • Member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors.

  • Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ithaca College Alumni Association.

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