Happy 70th birthday to commissioner David Stern

[Coupé It]

Wow look at all this hate!! You guys don't appreciate a good business man.

David Stern is by far the best commissioner from all the major sports, it's not even close.

Ya'll just hating for the sake of hating but probably have no business intellect to base that foundation of hate on. The man has marketed and globalized the sport of basketball. He launched NBATV and every major sport followed the template. He's been innovative. Appreciate it.

 

[Clyde Frog]

His successor, Adam Silver, is like a robot protege. I expect more of the same if not worse for years to come.

You couldn't be more spot on. Stern will still have his say in this league when he's gone.

 

[champcruthik]

Wow look at all this hate!! You guys don't appreciate a good business man.
David Stern is by far the best commissioner from all the major sports, it's not even close.
Ya'll just hating for the sake of hating but probably have no business intellect to base that foundation of hate on. The man has marketed and globalized the sport of basketball. He launched NBATV and every major sport followed the template. He's been innovative. Appreciate it.

How do you justify vetoing the CP3 trade to LAL?

Also, the controversy surrounding the draft lottery. Can't the process be televised live to avoid the unnecessary drama. Proves the conspiracy theorists wrong.

 

[jjs]

As long as we don't have a lock-out, I could care less who's the comissionner.

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Wow look at all this hate!! You guys don't appreciate a good business man.
David Stern is by far the best commissioner from all the major sports, it's not even close.
Ya'll just hating for the sake of hating but probably have no business intellect to base that foundation of hate on. The man has marketed and globalized the sport of basketball. He launched NBATV and every major sport followed the template. He's been innovative. Appreciate it.

stern had jordan to thank for that.

 

[Coupé It]

How do you justify vetoing the CP3 trade to LAL?
Also, the controversy surrounding the draft lottery. Can't the process be televised live to avoid the unnecessary drama. Proves the conspiracy theorists wrong.

It's easy to justify the CP3 deal: the NBA owned the Hornets during the time and they had power over the management decisions. Stern/NBA felt like they could have gotten a better deal for CP3 (which they did with the Clippers). They had to make the Hornets a more attractive franchise to sell and Luis Scola, Pau Gasol, and Kevin Martin were nothing but a bunch of loaded contract players past their prime. Easy decision.

As for the conspiracy theories surrounding the draft lottery, from my knowledge during the NBA draft lottery process every team has a lawyer representing them and an outside party that all teams agree to is in control or moderates the lottery. If their were anything illegal or shady happening NBA teams would have been speaking out. Generally an angry owner never has a problem doing so.

 

[dmbrhs]

stern had jordan to thank for that.

Quit slurpin'. Without the confluence of events in 1984, and the subsequent stretch from the '84 Finals through the '87 Finals, the league wouldn't be close to where it was when Jordan (and the Dream Team) took it to another level.

 

[shatterkneesinc]

Quit slurpin'. Without the confluence of events in 1984, and the subsequent stretch from the '84 Finals through the '87 Finals, the league wouldn't be close to where it was when Jordan (and the Dream Team) took it to another level.

so what happened after jordan that has any significance to the growth of the league?
getting yao ming to play in the nba? nba on abc/espn?

you know the league is losing money right?

 

[dmbrhs]

so what happened after jordan that has any significance to the growth of the league?
getting yao ming to play in the nba? nba on abc/espn?
you know the league is losing money right?

You are severely underestimating the power of the NBA's online presence, which the league has fully embraced. The NBA product is by far the most accessible sport online. They practically encourage players to interact with fans via social media, all highlights are on YouTube, etc. That's all a product of Stern.

Couple that with the continues presence of NBA players on the national team, especially all of the best players being part of the program, and its popularity really has soared to new heights in the last half decade.

 

[worldbeefreeg]

so what happened after jordan that has any significance to the growth of the league?
getting yao ming to play in the nba? nba on abc/espn?
you know the league is losing money right?

That's actually categorically false the league just had one of its best years ever, most teams did quite well for themselves last year. The Decision revitalized the league the list of super-rich dudes who want to buy a team is huge. Finals ratings were the best in ages,next year promises more of the same, a plethora of young, exciting and marketable superstars. As annoying as the lockout was, I think it shows us that the league really only needs 65 games or so and should start around Christmas anyway. November is football season.

 

[pr0phecy718]

stern had jordan to thank for that.

and Stern capitalized on it

 

[duba169]

Stern hasn't been a good commissioner in at least a decade though. He's been watering down the game and having lock outs over and over. He WAS an amazing commissioner. But come on that was many years ago

 

[jordan23dotcom]

i see stern, i cant help but ask myself........ did i stop beating my wife yet??? i dont even have a wife........

 

[dmbrhs]

Stern hasn't been a good commissioner in at least a decade though. He's been watering down the game and having lock outs over and over. He WAS an amazing commissioner. But come on that was many years ago

What do you mean by “watered down”? Dilution of talent? Or rule changes that make the league “soft” in your mind?

 

[mez 0ne]

watered down...lack of depth due to more teams.

 

[ripc]

Died @ that pic of him rocking a Terror Squad chain

 

[dmbrhs]

watered down...lack of depth due to more teams.

But the NBA has recovered quite a bit from where it was even just four or five years ago. The one-year rule, combined with the natural effect of weeding out players, has made the league far superior to where it was in, say, 2008. It's only going to keep getting better.

 

[duba169]

Too many teams, rule changes to make the game "soft", WWE status. Owning the clippers fiasco. Nor ownong up to gambling refs. Arbitrary suspensions

 

[futuremd]

Wait...you all think there are too MANY teams? How many would you prefer?

 

[duba169]

At least 4 less to start maybe more

The pacing is the biggest change. I can't watch with all of the stoppages. Damn near Every 40 seconds you hear a whistle. The best basketball is fluid. It's a very diff vibe.

The AAU mentality doesn't help either but I don't know how much you can blame stern for that

 

[oneforall]

Goodell and Bettman make Stern look good.

 

[dmbrhs]

Wait...you all think there are too MANY teams? How many would you prefer?

At least two fewer teams, if not four. That's the general consensus.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Stern was in the right place at the right time. Magic and Larry then Mike.