Former NBA commissioner, the late David Stern, is largely credited with globally growing the NBA. There couldn’t be a bigger testament to his legacy than this weekend’s 69th NBA All-Star Weekend.
When the NBA initially tipped off in 1946 there was one international player in that inaugural game, Italian-Canadian Hank Biasatti. By February 1984, when David Stern took his post as NBA Commissioner, there were only four international players in the league. There are four international players in this year’s All-Star Game starting lineup alone, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid, and Pascal Siakam.
Stern’s Efforts to Grow the League
Over the years, Stern increased the NBA’s global viewership by negotiating contracts with international outlets. He embraced a large influx of Eastern European talent in the late 1980s after the Soviet government loosened restrictions and allowed players to join the league; a result of the Soviet Union’s gold medal in the 1988 Olympics.
Stern also pushed for professional players to be allowed to compete in the Olympics, culminating in the famed 1992 Dream Team. The Dream Team, filled with NBA heavy hitters such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and John Stockton, went on to capture gold, expanding the league’s international viewership and inspiring millions of up and coming hoopers around the world. He also worked with FIBA to establish Basketball without Borders in 2001, which hosts basketball clinics across the globe.
The Next Generation
Stern’s efforts didn’t just affect one generation of NBA players. They changed the NBA for good, establishing it as a truly global game. In 1995, there were 24 international players in the NBA. Today, there are 108, making up a quarter of the players in the league. Many of the international players who entered the league early in Stern’s reign now have sons in the NBA. For example, first-time All-Star, Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers and a Team Giannis reserve player is the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis. Other notable father-son pairings are Manute and Bol Bol, Mychal and Klay Thompson, and Tito and Al Horford.
There is so much new and upcoming international talent, the league recently changed the format of All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars Game to the USA vs. World (it was previously Rookies vs. Sophomores).
David Stern stepped down as NBA Commissioner in 2014 after 30 years of service, and sadly he passed away earlier this year. In his time as commissioner, he obviously left an indelible mark on the league. Without his commitment to growing the game and the dedication of former international players and superstars like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Dikembe Mutombo, and Steve Nash, the NBA would not be the same. Heck, All-Star Weekend wouldn’t be the same.
List of International Players participating in this year’s All-Star Weekend
NBA Rising Stars Game (Friday, February 14th)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Deandre Ayton
RJ Barrett
Brandon Clarke
Luka Dončić
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Rui Hachimura
Svi Mykhailiuk
Josh Okogie
Moritz Wagner
State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (Saturday, February 15th)
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Domantas Sabonis (note: Sabonis was born in the United States to Lithuanian parents, but represents Lithuania in international play)
Pascal Siakam
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
MTN DEW 3-Point Contest
Davis Bertans
Buddy Hield
All-Star Game Participants (Sunday, February 16th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Luka Dončić
Joel Embiid
Rudy Gobert – Reserve
Nikola Jokic – Reserve
Domantas Sabonis – Reserve
Pascal Siakam
Ben Simmons – Reserve
