January 1st, 2020 was a sad day for the NBA community. Former NBA commissioner died from a brain hemorrhage. Mr. Stern transcended the culture of sports by propelling the NBA into a global phenomenon. On December 12, Mr Stern was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage which required an emergency surgery. A brain hemorrhage is a form of stroke, which can be cause by hypertension, dilated blood vessels, or trauma. Following Mr Stern’s surgery he was on a breathing tube and unconscious. His wife Diane and son Eric were together with their beloved father throughout the process. Mr.Stern has been responsible for opening various doors for the NBA globally and implemented the idea of marketing superstar athletes such as: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
MR.NBA
Michael Jordan receives 1996 NBA Finals MVP award.
“His vision and leadership provided me with the global stage that allowed me to succeed.”
In 1984 David Stern took over as the NBA’s commissioner at a time when the league was at a crossroad. Several franchises had financial instabilities with no major television deals, thus lack of global reach stifled the league. Ultimately under the guidance of Mr Stern the NBA expanded into the most progressive Sports league in the world. Here are some interesting statistics of the NBA during Mr. Stern’s 30-year tenure. According to Forbes:
The NBA player salary cap grew from 3.6 million to 59 million dollars.
The NBA television revenue grew from 22 million to 930 million dollars.
NBA Franchise value grew from 400 million to 19 billion dollars.
DAVID STERN
September 22 1942- January 1 2020
“We need to give David Stern a lot of credit, we both helped change the world in a sense and I thank him for that.”
As mentioned earlier David Stern being the visionary that he is capitalize off his strategy of marketing prominent NBA Superstars into global icons. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were larger than life during the 1980s and from a cultural standpoint they both helped bridge the gap between racism in sports. For first time in history NBA players were allowed to participate in the Olympics thanks to Mr. Stern’s blessing. In 1992 The Dream Team were the stars of the show in the Barcelona Olympics capturing a Gold Medal. One can make the argument that this was one of the biggest moments for the NBA, to have a team full of NBA legends representing their respective country and being a global ambassador for the NBA. The brilliance of Mr. Stern will never go unnoticed. It’s safe to say that Mr.Stern surpassed all the expectations sought out for the NBA.
NBA Global
David Stern with Nelson Mandela
Under the David Stern era he’s influenced the way NBA athletes approach the sport, dress, and give back to their communities. From the implementation of the NBA D-League, WNBA, and the worldwide partnerships Mr Stern’s unparalleled vision changed the face of professional sports. With all his unprecedented success the one person that expresses his deep gratitude for Mr Stern is current NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Silver worked alongside Stern as an intern learning the business of the NBA, the two spent countless hours in meetings, on phone calls, on flights. In 2014 Mr Stern decided that it was time to pass the torch to Adam Silver. Mr. Silver continues to guide our league in a positive direction and will forever pay homage to his mentor and cultural Icon Mr.Stern. David Stern will go down as one of the greatest monumental figures in the history of sports.
“Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand — making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation,”
VISIONARY
NBA DRAFT ‘13 (Brooklyn, NY)
“ Thank you for service to the world and your commitment to greatest sport in the world. At 9 years old my dream was to walk across that stage on Draft night and shake your hand. you will be truly missed, I send my deepest condolences to your loved ones and family. “ - Hussein A.
Figure: David Stern
September 22, 1942- January 1 2020
Special Thanks: @cnn, @blecaherreport, @nba,
Graphics by: @tgq.inc