Written by: Dylan Harter
Despite always having a deep love for the game of basketball, Niloo Abedzadeh never expected her time at Syracuse Law to become the bridge between her passion for law and justice and the sport she loves. Today, Niloo serves as a Basketball Strategy Analyst for the Toronto Raptors, where she helps build rosters for both short-term and long-term success, assists with player acquisition and contracts, and ensures compliance with league rules. Her journey from a curious, driven law student to a key role in one of the world’s most well-known sports leagues reflects a love of learning and a willingness to take calculated risks to dive headfirst into the work she is truly passionate about.
Niloo’s path to Syracuse Law was not typical. She was born and raised in Iran and moved to Toronto at age 11, when her family set out to build a better life in a country with more opportunities for success. Her early years in Iran exposed her to the harms of political conflict and the justice system, especially toward women. Those experiences, Niloo explained, laid the foundation for her desire to pursue law and made law school a one-way path. There was no plan B. After high school, Niloo attended York University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology.
Along with her love of sports, several factors made Syracuse feel like the perfect fit. Not only was it relatively close to home in Toronto, but a deeper look at the opportunities available to students, notably its variety of clinics and hands-on experiences, made her decision easy. Niloo entered law school unsure of what type of law she wanted to practice. By her second and third years, she planned to pursue corporate transactional work. That plan quickly changed.
Two instrumental experiences at Syracuse sparked Niloo’s path to a career in sports. The first was competing in the Tulane Law School NBA Negotiation Competition as a member of the Syracuse Law Negotiation Team during both her 2L and 3L years. To prepare, Niloo fully immersed herself in the business and legal side of the NBA, learning to interpret the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement and understand the nuances of league transactions and player contracts. Perhaps even more important than the competition itself, it gave her the chance to network with NBA front office personnel who were lawyers by trade. In those conversations, Niloo learned how to tailor her experiences in law school to make herself an attractive candidate for professional sports teams.
The second was being selected for an Externship with BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets. There, Niloo learned firsthand how basketball and law intersect. She helped draft corporate contracts, assisted with the business side of the Nets’ home arena, Barclays Center, and worked to ensure compliance with NBA rules and regulations.
After graduating from Syracuse, Niloo faced a major life decision. She had received an offer to return as a first-year associate at a reputable Syracuse firm. However, after a fortunate conversation with her now direct report and mentor, Bobby Webster, EVP and General Manager of the Toronto Raptors, she was encouraged to apply for the team’s Wayne & Theresa Embry Fellowship. The catch was that pursuing this one-year placement meant turning down her firm offer. Niloo had to choose between a steady, guaranteed position at a well-regarded law firm and taking a leap to pursue her passion. She bet on herself and applied. She was selected as one of two Raptors fellows, and that became her door into her current role as a Basketball Strategy Analyst with the same team that took a chance on her.
Niloo believes her story holds a lesson for all law students. Law school trains students to be hyper-analytical and to choose what seems most reasonable and safe. Her decision deviated from that norm. Sometimes the best decision is the risky one that requires you to bet on yourself. Niloo says that calculated risk transformed her career and her life, and she could not be happier that she took the chance to believe in herself.
Niloo credits much of her success in the sports world to her time at Syracuse Law. It taught her transferable skills she uses every day: strong interpersonal skills, the drive to always do more, mental engagement, and constant curiosity. Specifically, her involvement with the Syracuse Law Review helped her develop an attention for detail that allows her to catch the smallest issues in contracts and Salary Cap strategy.
Niloo’s path from a young girl in Iran to the front office of an NBA team demonstrates the courage and curiosity that have defined her career. She never imagined, while sitting in law school classrooms, that she would one day help shape the roster of her hometown team. Today, her journey serves as a reminder that the most fulfilling careers are often built on hard work, a love of learning, and the courage to bet on yourself when an unexpected opportunity comes along.