NEW YORK: NBA commissioner emeritus David Stern passed away on the afternoon of January 1 as a result of the brain hemorrhage he suffered approximately three weeks earlier. His wife, Dianne, and their family were with him at his bedside.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals – preparation, attention to detail, and hard work.
“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. 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.
“Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration. Our deepest condolences go out to David’s wife, Dianne, their sons, Andrew and Eric, and their extended family, and we share our grief with everyone whose life was touched by him.”
“The entire basketball community is heartbroken,” the National Basketball Players Association said. “David Stern earned and deserved inclusion in our land of giants.”
Lakers forward LeBron James said: “We lost a great visionary,” James said. “Him and Dr James Naismith are the two most important people for the game of basketball. Dr Naismith because he invented the game and David for his vision, his vision to make this game global.”
NBA all time great and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls the first year Stern became commissioner, told The Athletic that Stern created “opportunities” for players to grow their brands. Last year, the Jordan brand’s parent company, Nike, announced the line reached its first-ever $1 billion quarter.
“His vision and leadership provided me with the global stage that allowed me to succeed,” Jordan told the subscription-based sports media company. “David had a deep love for the game of basketball and demanded excellence from those around him — and I admired him for that. I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
“There are no words that can really describe the far-reaching impact of Commissioner Stern’s brilliance, vision, fairness and hard work over so many years,” fellow NBA hall of famer Larry Bird said. “When you think of all that he accomplished worldwide on behalf of thousands of players, so many fans, all of the jobs he created for team and arena employees and all of the people that benefitted from the many layers of growth in the sport and industry that David spearheaded and then passed on to others, there is no doubt Commissioner Stern lifted the NBA to new heights and he will be greatly missed by all of us.”
Golden State Warriors Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts called Stern the “single most important individual” in the history of the NBA.
Welts worked under Stern as the league’s chief marketing officer and president of NBA Properties until 1999 before leaving the NBA to become president of Fox Sports Enterprises.
Stern served as NBA commissioner for 30 years from 1984 until 2014, before handing over the reins to Adam Silver in February 2014. Under his watch, the NBA added seven teams and relocated six other franchises. The league’s annual revenue from its television contract increased by 40 times, the average player salary jumped from $250,000 a year in 1984 to more than $5 million, and the value of franchises skyrocketed.
The NBA took off globally under Stern, who oversaw the growth of the league into one whose games were televised in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.
The league opened 13 offices worldwide, staged regular-season games outside the US – a first in professional sports. He also founded the WNBA in 1997. He had a hand in numerous initiatives that changed the league, including drug testing, the salary cap and implementation of a dress code.
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