David Stern Dies at 77

6x NBA Champions

Moderator: wab

Post Reply
User avatar
Grizzled
Hall of Famer
Posts: 5552
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:55 pm
Has thanked: 605 times
Been thanked: 485 times

It’s hard to put into perspective the impact Stern had on not only the NBA but every sports league. By the end of the ‘70s, the NBA finals were shown on tape delay. By the end of his tenure, the league had boomed internationally, NBA stars were among the biggest stars in any entertainment field, basketball was well on its way to supplanting baseball in popularity among sports fans in the U.S. A lot of it was done by Stern pretty much having Michael put the league on his shoulders and taking it to the stratosphere. The effects of his business acumen still lift basketball today. R.I.P.
Drafts are like snowflakes, no two are alike.
User avatar
The Marshall Plan
Hall of Famer
Posts: 8411
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Parts Unknown
Has thanked: 909 times
Been thanked: 1277 times

A human being lost their life and that needs to be respected.

That being said, Stern was the commissioner during the heyday of:

Michael Jordan and the Bulls dynasty
Magic Johnson and the Lakers dynasty
Larry Bird and the Celtics dynasty
Patrick Ewing and competitive Knicks teams
The Detroit Pistons Bad Boys
The Olympic Dream Team (Now perhaps he had a very strong hand in that which would be a huge win for him.)
and many many other assorted personalities: Barkley, Shaq, and I'm sure I'm leaving out many others accidentally.

League rules, which I'm sure he had a hand in and should be credited with, also allowed for a truly competitive style of play. It isn't the unwatchable flop-a-rama that players like LeBron have benefited from.

He was the commissioner during a Golden Age where a lot of things outside of his control just went right.
Image
User avatar
Grizzled
Hall of Famer
Posts: 5552
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:55 pm
Has thanked: 605 times
Been thanked: 485 times

He pushed for pros being allowed to play Olympic basketball, leading to the Dream Team concept.
Drafts are like snowflakes, no two are alike.
Post Reply