David Stern, RIP

[jimsumner]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28405624/former-nba-commissioner-david-stern-dies-77

[elvis14]

Sad to hear that he passed.

Note that the ESPN article linked is really pretty bad and not worth reading. DS deserves better journalism than that.

[brevity]

Wow. A divisive but huge historical figure in pro sports history.

Adam Silver's statement is printed on the NBA's website here (https://www.nba.com/article/2020/01/01/commissioner-silver-statement-david-stern-passing), and it provides in part:


David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world.

[MartyClark]

David Stern was a smart, tough guy. I always enjoyed his interviews. No reporter ever got the best of him, David would control the interview and the narrative.

RIP David and condolences to your family.

[JasonEvans]

Like him or not, he transformed modern basketball... or at least steered the ship as the transformation was happening.

Easily one of the most powerful and influential figures in the history of sport... any sport. If baseball had someone as visionary as Stern at any point in the past 3 decades, basketball would still be the third biggest sport in America.

RIP...

[Billy Dat]

The Woj piece is pretty good, wish it was longer with a few more of the great anecdotes that he included

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28297623/nba-commissioner-david-stern-was-complete-force-nature

[HereBeforeCoachK]

David Stern was a smart, tough guy. I always enjoyed his interviews. No reporter ever got the best of him, David would control the interview and the narrative.

RIP David and condolences to your family.

He always seemed youthful and vigorous for his age. I figured he'd make it to the 90s....very big part of today's NBA.

[sagegrouse]

He always seemed youthful and vigorous for his age. I figured he'd make it to the 90s...very big part of today's NBA.

From my viewpoint, he was "youthful." Sorry to see him go so soon.

[SouthernDukie]

Sorry to hear this. RIP to a great Commissioner and, from all appearances, a nice man.

[Rich]

I worked at the NBA for 5 years from 1994 to 1999 and remember Commissioner Stern as being a brilliant executive, but a very tough man to work for. Let's just say that when your office phone rang with "Commissioner's Office" on the screen it was not to congratulate you or tell you did a good job on something. I witnessed him calling top executives names and using expletives in closed door meetings and I remember more than a few instances where a colleague left a meeting crying. One of my coworkers gave me the advice to never cry in front of him because he respected people when they stood their ground and would pounce if he saw you as weak. I have first hand knowledge of such instances. I'm not being critical, just honest.

He was a tough guy who ran the NBA a certain way and set very high expectations, especially for his team of lawyers (of which I was one). With his Proskauer background, he always felt that Legal was the last and most important stop between Marketing's ideas and public dissemination. And while accolades were few, blame was always placed on Legal colleagues because of his high expectations and standards for attorneys.

As my first job as an attorney in the private sector, I learned a tremendous amount in his organization and I owe a lot to him and others at the NBA. I also recognize his genius as a marketing executive and his global vision for the NBA. Many of his policies and ideas transcended those at the other sports leagues at the time and he transformed the NBA from an afterthought as a league to a TV and marketing powerhouse (with the help of Bird, Magic, and, during my stint, Michael Jordan).

For me personally he was a difficult man to work for, but sometimes the best teachers are those who work you the hardest and set the highest expectations.

RIP David Stern

[Billy Dat]

I worked at the NBA for 5 years from 1994 to 1999 and remember Commissioner Stern as being a brilliant executive, but a very tough man to work for. Let's just say that when your office phone rang with "Commissioner's Office" on the screen it was not to congratulate you or tell you did a good job on something. I witnessed him calling top executives names and using expletives in closed door meetings and I remember more than a few instances where a colleague left a meeting crying. One of my coworkers gave me the advice to never cry in front of him because he respected people when they stood their ground and would pounce if he saw you as weak. I have first hand knowledge of such instances. I'm not being critical, just honest.

He was a tough guy who ran the NBA a certain way and set very high expectations, especially for his team of lawyers (of which I was one). With his Proskauer background, he always felt that Legal was the last and most important stop between Marketing's ideas and public dissemination. And while accolades were few, blame was always placed on Legal colleagues because of his high expectations and standards for attorneys.

As my first job as an attorney in the private sector, I learned a tremendous amount in his organization and I owe a lot to him and others at the NBA. I also recognize his genius as a marketing executive and his global vision for the NBA. Many of his policies and ideas transcended those at the other sports leagues at the time and he transformed the NBA from an afterthought as a league to a TV and marketing powerhouse (with the help of Bird, Magic, and, during my stint, Michael Jordan).

For me personally he was a difficult man to work for, but sometimes the best teachers are those who work you the hardest and set the highest expectations.

RIP David Stern

Wow, what an experience you had...amazing. David Aldridge wrote a very detailed tribute to Stern for The Athletic and it reflects your experience to the letter. It seems he was a genius, but also a hard charging, extremely tough guy who demanded a lot of his subordinates and used his bully pulpit liberally to motivate and intimidate. Aside from his stewardship of the NBA and the manner in which he made it the second most popular league in the USA, everyone seems to point to his championing of women's issues and his advocacy for players rights (he was the lawyer for Connie Hawkins back before his NBA gig) and his general instincts to make sure the NBA was a champion of all civil rights (despite his ongoing accommodation of Donald Sterling). But, at his core, he was a ruthless and relentless debater and arguer who relished a good fight. Thanks for sharing your story.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I worked at the NBA for 5 years from 1994 to 1999 and remember Commissioner Stern as being a brilliant executive, but a very tough man to work for. Let's just say that when your office phone rang with "Commissioner's Office" on the screen it was not to congratulate you or tell you did a good job on something. I witnessed him calling top executives names and using expletives in closed door meetings and I remember more than a few instances where a colleague left a meeting crying. One of my coworkers gave me the advice to never cry in front of him because he respected people when they stood their ground and would pounce if he saw you as weak. I have first hand knowledge of such instances. I'm not being critical, just honest.

He was a tough guy who ran the NBA a certain way and set very high expectations, especially for his team of lawyers (of which I was one). With his Proskauer background, he always felt that Legal was the last and most important stop between Marketing's ideas and public dissemination. And while accolades were few, blame was always placed on Legal colleagues because of his high expectations and standards for attorneys.

As my first job as an attorney in the private sector, I learned a tremendous amount in his organization and I owe a lot to him and others at the NBA. I also recognize his genius as a marketing executive and his global vision for the NBA. Many of his policies and ideas transcended those at the other sports leagues at the time and he transformed the NBA from an afterthought as a league to a TV and marketing powerhouse (with the help of Bird, Magic, and, during my stint, Michael Jordan).

For me personally he was a difficult man to work for, but sometimes the best teachers are those who work you the hardest and set the highest expectations.

RIP David Stern

Very very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[Hingeknocker]

David Stern's accomplishments are many and his legacy for the NBA as an institution is practically set in stone.

However, managing/intimidating your employees to tears is deeply, deeply terrible behavior. Our world will be a better place when (if?) that type of leadership no longer exists. There is a chasm of difference between being a teacher/leader with high expectations and clear demands, and abusing the people over whom you have power.

[sagegrouse]

David Stern's accomplishments are many and his legacy for the NBA as an institution is practically set in stone.

However, managing/intimidating your employees to tears is deeply, deeply terrible behavior. Our world will be a better place when (if?) that type of leadership no longer exists. There is a chasm of difference between being a teacher/leader with high expectations and clear demands, and abusing the people over whom you have power.

I wonder if the cognoscenti on the Board could give us a reading as to how different a boss Adam Silver is as NBA commish.

[Rich]

I wonder if the cognoscenti on the Board could give us a reading as to how different a boss Adam Silver is as NBA commish.

Adam was his right hand man when I was there and I still have friends at the NBA. They have very, very different personalities and it's my understanding that it's a much kinder and gentler place to work.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Adam was his right hand man when I was there and I still have friends at the NBA. They have very, very different personalities and it's my understanding that it's a much kinder and gentler place to work.

Based on what you've said, I've no doubt that's true. Of course, perhaps Silver can use the soft touch because of what Stern accomplished.....by being the harda**

[Indoor66]

"It takes a tough man to raise a tender chicken." Frank Perdue

[budwom]

apropos to not much, I always got a kick out of him being constantly booed at the NBA draft....he took it pretty well as it had become something of a ritual.

"And With The Tenth Pick In The 1997 NBA Draft, The Detroit Pistons Select (pause) Di-mee-tree-ov Val-a (second pause) shevz-ko From Ukraine."