David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the former commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien. He is credited with increasing the popularity of the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusiness Executive
Date of Birth22 September 1942
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
This a delicate subject. I would say that I see it as a potential for relocation more than for expansion. ... I think that 30 teams is enough right now.
that the combination of the global appeal of our game and the growth of television markets around the world meant that NBA games were going to be seen everywhere.
I was pleased to find somebody analyzing pro sports, as thought to be a business. I was impressed with his professionalism and his understanding of the key drivers in our business. His conclusions were all wrong, but that led to some friendly and heated debate, and that was the start of our friendship.
The devastation of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region has made it necessary for the Hornets to move to a temporary location for the upcoming season. But it was important to the Hornets and the NBA that we maintain a presence in Louisiana in anticipation of a return to New Orleans next season.
Because a lot of people will be copying my look,
It was important to the Hornets and the NBA that we maintain a presence in Louisiana in anticipation of a return to New Orleans next season.
There's no doubt the city is making progress.
In the good old days, Chamberlain and Russell played in anonymity compared to Bird, Magic, Michael and Isiah. And even those guys played in less of a spotlight that our players today are playing in thanks to this saturated media environment.
There's nothing that we have accomplished in the last 30 years that Russ hasn't been at the center of, from expansion, to collective bargaining, to international activities, ... It's quite an N.B.A. career that will be coming, I don't want to say to a close, but slowing down at the end of the season. It's a big loss, but we're also cheered that it's something Russ wanted to do.
It happens at least probably 5 percent of the time.
It's our preference, our strong preference, to have the Blazers in Portland, in Oregon, playing at the Rose Garden and being able to be a financial success.
It was the Michael Jordan/Nike phenomenon that really let people see that athletes were OK, and black athletes were OK. Defying a previous wisdom - not only that black athletes wouldn't sell in white America, but that the NBA as a predominantly black sport could not sell in white America.
This is an extraordinary person who just happens to be amongst the greatest fifty in NBA history and probably the best power forward to play the game. It's been fun to be along for that ride.
The NBDL continues to attract significant interest from successful businessmen around the country, further enhancing the league's vitality.