01-01-2020, 07:05 PM
First of 2020:
David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020)[1] was an American lawyer and businessman who served as the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. He started with the NBA in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel, and became the league's executive vice president in 1980.[2] He became commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien. He was credited with increasing the popularity of the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s.[3]
Stern served on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers and was a Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University. He was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[4]
On October 25, 2012, Stern announced that he would step down as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014, 30 years to the day after beginning his tenure as commissioner. His deputy, Adam Silver, was his successor. At the time of his departure, he was the NBA's longest-serving commissioner.[5] Stern received the Olympic Order in 2012. On February 14, 2014, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Stern would be a member of its 2014 induction class.[6] In 2016, he became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Stern's first affiliation with the NBA came in 1966 when he was hired at Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, LLP, the law firm that represents the league. He was the lead attorney representing the firm in the case of Robertson vs National Basketball Association, the landmark lawsuit brought against the NBA by star player Oscar Robertson. Stern helped the league negotiate a settlement that allowed the NBA/ABA merger to proceed in return for the NBA abolishing the "option" clause in its uniform player contract and allowing players to become free agents for the first time.[8][9][10]
In 1978, Stern left Proskauer Rose to become the NBA's General Counsel under Commissioner Larry O'Brien. By 1980, he was Executive Vice President of the NBA. During this time, two landmark decisions were reached with the NBA Players' Association: drug testing and team salary cap.[11] The drug testing dealt with the perception that most basketball players used drugs, that the NBA admitted it had a problem, and it was cleaning it up. The salary cap created a revenue-sharing system where owner and player were effectively partners. Both of these agreements solidified Stern's standing inside NBA circles.
On February 1, 1984, Stern became the Commissioner of the NBA, succeeding Larry O'Brien. It was during that same year (1984–85) that four of the league's marquee players during the 1980s and 1990s—Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton—entered the NBA.
The arrival of Michael Jordan, in particular, ushered in a new era of commercial bounty for the NBA. With him came his flair and talent for the game, and that brought in shoe contracts from Nike which helped to give the league even more national attention.[12] Jordan and the two other premier basketball legends of the 1980s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, took the game to new heights of popularity and profit. By 2004, Stern oversaw the NBA expand from 10 to 30 franchises (since 1966), expand into Canada, and televise games in countries around the world.
Stern has been credited with developing and broadening the NBA's audience, especially internationally setting up training camps, playing exhibition games, and recruiting more international players.[13] In addition, with Stern's guidance the NBA opened 12 offices in cities outside the United States, and broadcasted to over 200 territories in over 40 languages.[14]
Stern also helped found Women's National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Development League .[15][16]
Stern anticipated the growth of the digital age, launching NBA.com, NBA TV, and NBA League Pass—the first global streaming service. Under Stern, the NBA moved to the top of the world’s major sports leagues’ social media presence. Stern's strong commitment to social responsibility led to the creation of NBA Cares, a global social responsibility program that builds on the league’s mission to address important social issues in the U.S. and around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stern
David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020)[1] was an American lawyer and businessman who served as the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. He started with the NBA in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel, and became the league's executive vice president in 1980.[2] He became commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien. He was credited with increasing the popularity of the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s.[3]
Stern served on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers and was a Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University. He was also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[4]
On October 25, 2012, Stern announced that he would step down as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014, 30 years to the day after beginning his tenure as commissioner. His deputy, Adam Silver, was his successor. At the time of his departure, he was the NBA's longest-serving commissioner.[5] Stern received the Olympic Order in 2012. On February 14, 2014, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Stern would be a member of its 2014 induction class.[6] In 2016, he became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Stern's first affiliation with the NBA came in 1966 when he was hired at Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, LLP, the law firm that represents the league. He was the lead attorney representing the firm in the case of Robertson vs National Basketball Association, the landmark lawsuit brought against the NBA by star player Oscar Robertson. Stern helped the league negotiate a settlement that allowed the NBA/ABA merger to proceed in return for the NBA abolishing the "option" clause in its uniform player contract and allowing players to become free agents for the first time.[8][9][10]
In 1978, Stern left Proskauer Rose to become the NBA's General Counsel under Commissioner Larry O'Brien. By 1980, he was Executive Vice President of the NBA. During this time, two landmark decisions were reached with the NBA Players' Association: drug testing and team salary cap.[11] The drug testing dealt with the perception that most basketball players used drugs, that the NBA admitted it had a problem, and it was cleaning it up. The salary cap created a revenue-sharing system where owner and player were effectively partners. Both of these agreements solidified Stern's standing inside NBA circles.
On February 1, 1984, Stern became the Commissioner of the NBA, succeeding Larry O'Brien. It was during that same year (1984–85) that four of the league's marquee players during the 1980s and 1990s—Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton—entered the NBA.
The arrival of Michael Jordan, in particular, ushered in a new era of commercial bounty for the NBA. With him came his flair and talent for the game, and that brought in shoe contracts from Nike which helped to give the league even more national attention.[12] Jordan and the two other premier basketball legends of the 1980s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, took the game to new heights of popularity and profit. By 2004, Stern oversaw the NBA expand from 10 to 30 franchises (since 1966), expand into Canada, and televise games in countries around the world.
Stern has been credited with developing and broadening the NBA's audience, especially internationally setting up training camps, playing exhibition games, and recruiting more international players.[13] In addition, with Stern's guidance the NBA opened 12 offices in cities outside the United States, and broadcasted to over 200 territories in over 40 languages.[14]
Stern also helped found Women's National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Development League .[15][16]
Stern anticipated the growth of the digital age, launching NBA.com, NBA TV, and NBA League Pass—the first global streaming service. Under Stern, the NBA moved to the top of the world’s major sports leagues’ social media presence. Stern's strong commitment to social responsibility led to the creation of NBA Cares, a global social responsibility program that builds on the league’s mission to address important social issues in the U.S. and around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stern
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.