Former NBA commissioner David Stern died on Wednesday after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 12 and spending three weeks hospitalized in serious condition following emergency surgery. He was 77 years old.
According to a league statement, Stern died with his family along his side.
Stern served as league commissioner for 30 years — from 1984 to 2014 — and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. And during his tenure, the league exploded in popularity.
Following the news of Stern’s death, many NBA players, media members and fans took to social media to pay their respects.
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern🙏🏾! Shaking your hand on June, 26, 2003 was a dream come true ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZCT7naJPcU
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 1, 2020
Damn. RIP Commissioner. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/r5xtwpvJIO
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) January 1, 2020
RIP Commissioner Stern, very sad to hear the news. You did great things for the game of basketball. Someone I always admired. #NBAFamily
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) January 1, 2020
Today the #NBAFamily lost a legend, a leader that changed our game for the better. A father, a husband, a friend.
RIP #DavidStern, you will forever be missed. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/0dColRyTOT
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) January 1, 2020
Rest In Peace David Stern 🙏🏽 https://t.co/nJ5Krv6Bke
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) January 1, 2020
Prayers up for David Stern and his family!!
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) January 1, 2020
So sad! RIP! The NBA wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for that man! 🙏🏽 #DavidStern https://t.co/cWn91fiSeY
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) January 1, 2020
Prayers up for David Stern and his family!
Rest In Peace 🙏 pic.twitter.com/iCM8e5iL9n
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) January 1, 2020
— Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern…..
— Mario Chalmers (@mchalmers15) January 1, 2020
🕊Rest in Paridise!🕊 pic.twitter.com/EVqXHXPmia
— Andre Roberson (@FlyDre21) January 1, 2020
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/3zmqw2OPAL
— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern! Prayers up to his family!!!
— Langston Galloway (@LangGalloway10) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern. May he bask in the boos for all eternity. https://t.co/wCR0yoviMo
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern, it was a honor to shake your hand on draft day https://t.co/3VU1hG5Kfs
— Tristan Thompson (@RealTristan13) January 1, 2020
David Stern was the smartest man in the room, acted like it, did the tough things that no one else dared do — because they had to get done — and made you love him for it in the end. He was a true man — 1000% authentic — and the sport of basketball is forever indebted to him.
— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dieter) January 1, 2020
David Stern has died at age 77.
R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/LKYMNO20f2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 1, 2020
Sad news. https://t.co/j3QUZaD5IR
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2020
Tough day for #NBA pic.twitter.com/1E9wgcNn7d
— Chris Miller 🎥🎙🏀 (@cmillsnbcs) January 1, 2020
RIP David Stern
— Ronnie 2K 2K20 (@Ronnie2K) January 1, 2020
An absolute giant of basketball – hard to imagine that the NBA would be as globally popular as it is today without him. https://t.co/LeTl8Tsl66
— Philip O'Connor (@philipoconnor) January 1, 2020
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