A 30-year reign as commissioner of the National Basketball Association will come to an end for David Stern on Saturday. It is a three-decade long run filled with controversy, success and even some failures. But the NBA in 30 years has grown exponentially, and much of that can be attributed to the man at the top.
Stern succeeded former NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien on Feb. 1, 1984, and has been growing the league ever since.
He stepped into a good situation, as the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson, Boston Celtics/Los Angeles Lakers rivalry was in full effect. The first NBA draft under his leadership saw the Chicago Bulls ”“ a team that had won just one division title in 18 years of existence ”“ select a guard out of the University of North Carolina with the No. 3 overall pick named Michael Jordan (not to mention NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton).
Stern harnessed those three superstars’ popularity and made sure TV audiences in America noticed ”“ some NBA finals games were shown on tape-delay in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
When professional players were invited to participate in the Olympics for the first time in 1992 ”“ not something for which Stern can take credit ”“ it showcased the NBA game to the world. Stern jumped on the popularity of the “Dream Team” and brought his league to international audiences. NBA games can now be seen in 215 countries and territories.
The league has added seven franchises during Stern’s tenure, bringing the NBA to Canada (Toronto Raptors), Florida (Miami Heat and Orlando Magic), Minnesota, Charlotte, N.C., Oklahoma City, Okla. and Memphis, Tenn. while returning a franchise to New Orleans, La.
Stern’s tenure saw the creation of both the WNBA ”“ the only sustained major professional women’s league in the country ”“ and the NBA Development League ”“ a minor league with an alumni list that includes one out of four NBA players.
Stern’s time as commissioner hasn’t been all rosy, however. There was controversy in his second NBA draft, the first using the new lottery system. All seven non-playoff teams had the same chance to earn the No. 1 pick, with Stern drawing envelopes out of a tumbler. Various conspiracy theories suggest that the envelope containing the New York Knicks logo inside, which Stern drew for the No. 1 pick, had been tampered with, in an attempt to revive a sagging franchise in the league’s biggest market. The Knicks went on to draft Patrick Ewing, who became a superstar and future Hall of Famer, and who led the Knicks to two NBA finals appearances in 15 years with the team.
An NBA season has twice been affected by a lockout under Stern’s leadership, in the 1998-99 and 2011-12 seasons.
Stern had to deal with a gambling scandal involving former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and a fight between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers in 2004 that has become known as “The Malice at the Palace.”
Stern oversaw controversies that involved franchises moving ”“ Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City, where the franchise was renamed the Thunder ”“ and staying, as the Sacramento Kings nearly moving to Seattle, if not for Stern pushing for local leadership to find a way to keep the franchise in place.
Stern even put the halt on a trade that would have sent star point guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, The Hornets ”“ who were owned by the league at the time ”“ traded Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The controversy shined light on both the good and bad of Stern’s tenure. The nixed trade to the Lakers was seen as a fair trade that Stern rejected to prevent the rich Lakers from getting richer ”“ in basketball terms. Paul’s move to the Clippers, however, helped revive a franchise that had never won a division title in 43 years of existence until last year. The Clippers are now a contender for this year’s championship.
Making contenders out of the league’s marquee franchises ”“ ones in big cities or with rich histories ”“ has always been a trend in Stern’s NBA. While not always under the nicest of terms, the moves have helped bring the league money and fans.
Stern has always done his best to make sure that the league’s stars shine brightest, a move that has also attracted fans, especially those outside of the U.S. That started with Jordan back in 1984, and continues now with Miami Heat forward LeBron James.
The NBA now generates more than $5.5 billion annually ”“ while also raising $225 million since 2005, when the league launched the “NBA Cares” charity program.
Stern will hand the reins of the NBA to deputy commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday, but his legacy as one of the most important figures in the history of the NBA will live on.
Ӣ Ӣ Ӣ
Today’s editorial was written by Sportswriter Wil Kramlich on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
