Before helping build championship teams with the Miami Heat, Andy Elisburg grew up in Potomac and graduated from Winston Churchill High School in 1985. The Montgomery County native now serves as Miami’s executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager, continuing a career with the franchise that began during its inaugural season in 1988.
Elisburg has been part of all three Heat championship teams, which won NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013. His work behind the scenes includes managing the salary cap, helping assemble the roster and handling the financial and administrative details that allow basketball decisions to become reality.
According to the team’s biography, Elisburg played a key role in Miami’s landmark 2010 offseason, helping the Heat retain Dwyane Wade while bringing in LeBron James and Chris Bosh. That group reached four consecutive NBA Finals and won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. His salary-cap expertise helped Miami bring together its stars while adding veteran players around them.
His career began with an internship in the Heat’s public relations department, followed by positions in team services, team operations and basketball operations. He became general manager in 2013 and received the executive vice president title a decade later.
Before joining Miami, Elisburg interned with the Washington Bullets during the summer of 1988. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University, which inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. The university also recognized him with its first Leader for Life Award in 2004 and an honorary doctorate in 2022, when he served as a commencement speaker.
