High school and college education Kupchak attended New York's Brentwood High School. He was an All-American for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year his senior year. After graduating from North Carolina in 1986, Kupchak went on to play four seasons for UNC's rival school, Duke University. In 1990, he led the Duke Blue Devils to their first National Championship since 1955. Following his graduation from Duke in 1990, Kupchak entered the NBA as a draft pick of the Los Angeles Clippers. He later worked in the sports industry as a general manager and executive director of basketball operations for several teams including the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic. After leaving the Magic following the 2005-06 season, Kupchak joined the Lakers as their president of basketball operations. Under his leadership, the Lakers won six championships in 10 years. Kupchak stepped down from his post in July 2017 after ten years with the organization. He has been named one of the NBA's "Top Executive" by Sports Illustrated multiple times during his tenure with the Lakers. In addition to his work with the Lakers, Kupchak has served as an adviser for many other teams in the NBA including the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards.