Warriors win PBWA’s 2024-25 Brian McIntyre Award

From left: Darryl Arata (Warriors director of publications and statistical information), Danny Emerman (SF Standard), Sam Gordon (SF Chronicle), Brett Winkler (Warriors sr. director of public relations), Raymond Ridder (Warriors sr. VP of communications), Anthony Slater (The Athletic), Michael Ravina (Warriors director of basketball communications), Cole Lawrence (Warriors manager of public relations), Ohm Youngmisuk (ESPN), Sam Amick (The Athletic). Photo courtesy Golden State Warriors

May 12, 2025 — The Golden State Warriors’ basketball communications team has won the 2024-25 Brian McIntyre Media Relations Award, presented each season to the NBA media relations staff that best exemplifies standards of professionalism and excellence, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced today.

The Warriors staff is led by senior vice president of communications Raymond Ridder, along with Brett Winkler, senior director of public relations; Michael Ravina, director of basketball communications; Darryl Arata, director of publications and statistical information; and Cole Lawrence, manager of public relations.

Ridder’s staff, along with head coach Steve Kerr, consistently foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation with both local and national journalists who cover the league. Their commitment to those ideals has facilitated accurate, in-depth and nuanced coverage of the team.

“Few teams in professional sports have as great a spotlight, or as many demands on them, as the Warriors,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “Raymond Ridder and his staff handle it all with incredible grace and are always eager to connect our members with Warriors players, coaches and staff. That makes for better, more detailed stories – and provides fans valuable insight into the team.”

The media relations staff of the Detroit Pistons finished second in this year’s balloting. The other finalists, based on nominations from PBWA members, were the Orlando Magic, the Utah Jazz and the Washington Wizards. A vote of the full PBWA membership determined the winner.

This is the eighth time the Warriors have won the award, which was launched in 2006-07 and is named for Brian McIntyre, the former longtime NBA public relations director.

The PBWA annually honors a PR staff (Brian McIntyre Award), coach (Rudy Tomjanovich Award) and star player (Magic Johnson Award) who go above and beyond to work with the media and help inform fans. Under the PBWA’s current rules, adopted in 2020, no team or individual can win in consecutive years.

The PBWA is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA on a regular basis for newspapers, online outlets and magazines.

Brian McIntyre Media Relations Award winners
2006-07 Phoenix Suns
2007-08 Toronto Raptors
2008-09 Portland Trail Blazers
2009-10 Golden State Warriors
2010-11 Indiana Pacers
2011-12 Milwaukee Bucks
2012-13 Indiana Pacers
2013-14 Golden State Warriors
2014-15 Toronto Raptors
2015-16 Golden State Warriors
2016-17 Golden State Warriors
2017-18 Golden State Warriors
2018-19 Golden State Warriors
2019-20 Miami Heat
2020-21 N/A (pandemic)
2021-22 N/A (pandemic)
2022-23 Golden State Warriors
2023-24 Minnesota Timberwolves
2024-25 Golden State Warriors