David Stern’s time as NBA Commissioner is coming to an end starting tomorrow. The man who was in charge during the careers of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and many other superstars will step down from his position after 30 years. He has done a lot for the sport of basketball, including turning it into the billion dollar empire it is today. He is credited with making basketball a global sport that knows no boundaries.
When Stern took over in 1984, the league was in shambles. However, it was also the year Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and Michael Jordan entered the league. He saw promise in the league and he had the talent to make it a successful brand. It was not easy, but his first major task was to eliminate prejudice in the league. He wanted to have African American athletes become inspirations for young kids in the inner city who had a dream of one day getting out and becoming the next Jordan. Athletes also benefitted as the birth of sneaker deals began with companies like Nike and Adidas.
Over his tenure, the NBA grew from ten teams to thirty teams in different cities across the country. The NBA now has players from all over the world with fans in almost every country. It was not all good for Stern who faced his share of criticism for his policies. In 2005, Stern put a dress code into place that banned headphones, long chains, shorts, and T-shirts to be worn by players during public appearance. Many players, including Sixers point guard Allen Iverson, felt this was a direct attack on specific players. He has been accused of fixing the NBA Draft lottery system as recently as 2011. The lottery was one of the first additions Stern made to help non-playoff teams have a top pick in the draft to help build their teams with star players.
There were lockouts and lifelong suspensions, but overall Stern made the league better for owners, players, and fans. He helped create a Dream Team that represented the United States in the 1992 Olympics which put the NBA on an even bigger stage. He has made a lot of enemies over the years and there is still a lot of work that can be done. Many NBA fans would like to see new commissioner Adam Silver make the league as popular as football and the NFL.
