ORLANDO — As the NBA Finals resume Friday night between the Heat and Lakers, only a select few can watch the championship series in person.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only players, coaches and select team and NBA staff members have been allowed to enter "The Bubble" in Orlando.

And Stony Brook has a presence among that group.
 
Marianne Laurel, who graduated from Stony Brook in 2012, now works in Global Events for the NBA. She has been in the bubble for more than three months.

"From conception to execution, the attention to detail put forth has been intriguing and inspiring," Laurel said about the NBA Restart. "I've learned something new every day from someone new, and it has completely stimulated my brain to think deeper and more creatively."
 
Laurel first entered the sports industry as a freshman at Stony Brook. The Fort Lee, N.J., native was introduced to the football program as a freshman in 2008, when a mutual friend connected her with a member of the coaching staff. After working with her high school's football program with fundraisers and team operations, Laurel offered to volunteer for the Seawolves' football program.
 
At first, Laurel's job included assisting in the recruiting process and mailing. That role expanded, as she became the assistant to head coach Chuck Priore. In that position, Laurel was responsible for day-to-day needs, travel logistics, team needs and functions. It was a role for which Laurel continues to be thankful.
 
"As a female in a male dominant environment, I was treated with so much respect, and I was uplifted daily to be the best I could be," she said. "The opportunity taught me I belonged at any table I sat at, and has helped give me the confidence I carry today as a professional."
 
Laurel looks back on her days with Stony Brook football as some of the best, both personally and professionally. The team was a powerhouse in the Big South for all four seasons that Laurel assisted the program.
 
"One of my highlights was helping build a culture within the program," she said. "Together, we fostered relationships that helped us become a family. That showed every Saturday on game days. There was a fire within us, and true commitment to give each other our best."
 
After graduating in 2012 with a degree in political science, Laurel struggled to discover what she wanted to do. She knew she wanted to find a career in sports, mainly due to the experiences she had in college.
 
"The opportunity, encouragement and tools to succeed that I had during my time at Stony Brook helped propel my goals in the sports world," she said. "I have felt such a sense of purpose during these opportunities, and it's truly fulfilling."
 
Because she had grown so accustomed to life with Stony Brook football, she was determined to find a job similar to what she had done for all four years of college. Quickly, it became clear she would have to leave her comfort zone in order to find a career in the sports field. She learned that she would have to take "risks and detours" in order to establish herself.
 
Laurel began working at Madison Square Garden, doing stats for basketball games at the world's most famous arena. She took jobs with the Jets and Giants working on game days. At the 2015 NBA All-Star events in New York, Laurel worked as a production assistant. Three years later, she landed a full-time job with the NBA.
 
Her success has hardly been a shock to those she's worked with in the past.

"It is not a surprise that Marianne has reached the success she has," Priore said. "Her time here as a member of our football family was tremendous. She had one of the most positive outlooks on all situations and it was contagious among our coaches and team."

Laurel now works with the Global Events team as a key figure in executing the league's marquee events worldwide, such as the Global Games and the All-Star Weekend. During the NBA Restart, she's assisted in the process, communication and overall experience, filling in wherever needed.
 
Being a part of the NBA Restart in the bubble, she said, has been humbling.

When Laurel was introduced to Stony Brook football in 2008, she wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Now a proud alum, she attributes a lot of her post-graduate success to the experiences she had with a football program that she spent four years with.
 
"The exposure the opportunity gave me remains invaluable and significant in my life," Laurel said.