David Stern set to retire in 2014
Stern will be succeeded by deputy commissioner Adam Silver (blech), who commented that Stern would be remembered as “the best of all-time.” I’m not sure about that.
While it’s true that Stern was responsible for overseeing and growing the league during the NBA’s “golden-years,” recent memory has seen him become a caricature of himself. The past decade has seen his legacy marred by suspicion of conspiracy surrounding the draft lottery (with the Hornets, and the Cavs, and the Bulls–every year really), refereeing (I see you Sacramento Kings fans), and of course the infamous “basketball reasons.” Stern appears to have held on too long and our final impressions of him may be less than flattering.
Still, it’s hard to complain too much when his contemporaries Selig, Bettman, and Goodell have all been similarly reviled by their fan bases. I’ll remember Stern best for accepting his role with delightful aplomb, cupping his ear and egging on boo’s on draft night like some sort of bizzaro comic-book super-villain come to life. That might be the image of Stern that sticks best long after his tenure has passed, and in a world where none of the current major sports commissioners are viewed in a positive light, at least you can say that Stern was entertaining.
Related posts:
- David Stern says NBA will not accept tweaks on current proposal
- Billy Hunter wonders whether David Stern is ‘hostage’ of NBA owners
- David Stern gets the flu, NBA negotiations continue, some progress reportedly being made
- David Stern thinks women can play in the NBA
- David Stern throwing NBA players a bone? NBA could soften stance on lockout system issues at last second
Celtics Blog | Jordan Higgs | October 25, 2012
i wanna smash his charicature head in for being such a dirty prick!
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Get out. Nobody cares about this guy. Conspiracy 2010 Finals. Celtics robbed.
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The NBA is basically a step above WWF in terms of credibility. So there’s that. Then you have the Lockout, an assault on the players, and various rules that harass the players . Don Sterni will be remembered well by those who see NBA basketball as nothing more than an entertainment product.
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As for comparing Stern to other commissioners, maybe they are all reviled for good reasons. It’s like presidents. They all end up being hated. Sometimes this is cited in their defense. The possibility that they are actually all terrible is never considered.
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