The NBA family suffered a grave loss at the start of the new year and the new decade as former long-time commissioner David Stern passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77, the league announced.
Stern oversaw the massive growth of the NBA from a league that broadcasted the NBA Finals on tape delay to one that commands billions of dollars in broadcast rights from the likes of ESPN. He also was responsible for pushing the idea of the Dream Team in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which is one of the biggest moments associated with growing the game internationally.
“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand – making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.”
While Stern was a driving force for the growth of the NBA and basketball in general, there were other parts of his legacy that people will contest. His implementation of the dress code was seen as a targeted shot at Allen Iverson, who was the first superstar to usher in hip-hop culture to the NBA office. And as for LeBron James, Stern tried and failed to get James, his business partners and, ESPN from doing “The Decision,” back in 2010.
Stern’s legacy is one of overwhelmingly positive influence on the game and professional sports at large. The league will be mourning this loss for quite a while.
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