The NBA received the first overall 'A' among men's sports teams in a diversity study, according to a report issued by Richard Lapchick on Thursday.

The league has seven black executives among its 30 teams, a 23 percent rate. That's the highest percentage of minority presidents and CEO's in men's professional sports history.

"It doesn't surprise me. It was a kind of gradual move toward that," Lapchick said.

Lapchick is the head of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

There were 12 black head coaches in the NBA last season. At 40 percent, it's the highest in all pro sports. A league-record 42 percent of assistant coaches were minorities.