Arn Tellem: David was a proud liberal with a deep commitment to civil rights and social justice. I remember phoning him at the end of the 2012-13 regular season to say my client Jason Collins was about to come out in Sports Illustrated as the first openly gay man in major American team sports. David, who had fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 for using a homophobic slur during a 2011 contest, not only provided public encouragement, but continually encouraged team owners to give Jason a tryout. He was ecstatic when, after an at-times stressful 10-month wait, Jason did win a roster spot with the Brooklyn Nets and became the NBA’s first openly gay player to actually enter a game. David deserves credit for creating an environment that would be welcoming to Jason, one in which a gay athlete could receive widespread support.