David Stern
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David Joel Stern (born on September 22, 1942 in New York City, New York) is the current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). David Stern was born to Jewish parents and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is a graduate of Teaneck High School. Stern attended Rutgers University. He graduated as a dean's-list history student in 1963 and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1966. Stern began his association with the NBA in 1966 as outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien. Stern has served on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[1]
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[edit] National Basketball Association
Stern's first association with the NBA in 1966 was as an outside counsel. In 1978 Stern became the NBA's General Counsel. By 1980 he was Executive Vice President of the NBA. On February 1, 1984, Stern became the fourth Commissioner of the NBA. It was during that same season (1984-85) that four of the NBA's biggest superstars — Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton — entered the league.
The arrival of Michael Jordan, in particular, ushered in a new era of greatness for the NBA. With him came his flair and talent for the game, and that brought in shoe contracts from Nike which helped to give the league even more national attention.[2] Jordan and the two other premier basketball legends of the 1980s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, took the game to new heights of popularity and profit. By 2002, Stern had seen the NBA expand from 23 to 30 franchises, expand into Canada, and televise games in over 200 countries.
Stern also oversaw the creation of the WNBA, a professional women's basketball league. Under Stern's watch the NBA has undergone an unprecedented internationalization. Setting up NBA training camps and exhibition games around the globe as well as the influx of international players into the league which have played a role in developing the character of the NBA in the 21st century.[3] The NBA now has 11 offices in cities outside the United States, is televised in 212 nations in 42 languages, and operates the Women's National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Development League under the guidance of Stern.[4]
Under Stern's watch the NBA's charitable contributions have increased. Including the NBA's "Read to Achieve" and "NBA Cares" social programs, organized throughout various NBA communities.[1]
Stern has demanded that all U.S. states with NBA franchises and the province of Ontario, Canada, are not to have casinos and lotteries that distribute NBA basketball betting.[5] Stern has also reformed the management structure of the NBA, including delegating extensive responsibility to Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver.
[edit] Controversies
The NBA has lost popularity due to widely publicized problems within the league. In 1998, Sports Illustrated reported on the large number of players, including many of the league's stars, who exhibited a general lack of responsibility by fathering multiple children with multiple women in many different cities across the country. [1] Numerous stories have also been published over the last decade reporting on the criminal activities of many players. [2] On November 19, 2004, the NBA suffered one of its most embarrassing and damaging moments, now known as the Pacers-Pistons brawl, when an altercation involving players and fans broke out near the end of the game.[3] More recently, accusations of game fixing by referees, possibly at the direction of NBA executives, have been reported as a way to extend the playoffs and increase television revenues. [4]Stern has been accused of overseeing the fixing of NBA playoff games to ensure that popular teams reach the finals, thus maximizing revenues. Such charges were dissmissed as the complaints of disgruntled fans or the stuff of urban legends. However, in 2008, Stern's integrity came under suspicion when a former NBA referee convicted of federal gamblings charges issued charges of game-fixing.
[edit] Charges of Title-Game Fix
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was convicted of helping fix the outcomes of games for gamblers and of betting games himself, claimed in June 2008 that the sixth game of the 2002 Western Conference finals was fixed on orders of commissioner David Stern. Allegedly two of the referees were ordered to ensure that the Los Angeles Lakers won a sixth game over the Sacramento Kings, who were up 3 games to two in the playoffs and would have eliminated the Lakers with a victory. Donaghy charges that over the Sacramento Kingstwo of the game's referees were "company men" who "manipulated" the outcome by calling several questionable fouls on the Kings and prCalling the two referres "company men," Donaghy alleged in a legal filing linked to his sentencing on the gambling charges that the refs called unwarrnated fouls on the Kings, giving the Lakers' players 27 free throws in the fourth-quarter. The idea was to extend the series to a seventh game in order to maximize revenues. Stern denied the charges.
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader has defended Donaghy, whom Stern impugned as a "convicted felon," telling the Los Angeles Times that after the controverisal Sixth Game of the 2002 Western Conference playoffs, he had sent a letter to Stern critical of the refereeing.[5] There have long been urban myths that, since Stern assumed control of the NBA from former commissioner Larry O'Brien, that games have been were fixed through corrupt officiaiting to ensure that popular teams such as the Lakers reached the finals.
According to Nader, a fix might have occured without Stern participating in it, or even knowing it, as a king of Henry II v. Thomas Beckett "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?" scenario.
"Let's say these guys were company refs and they wanted to get David Stern more money," Nader told the Los Angeles Times. "If that's in their mind, David Stern doesn't even have to wink at them. They know how to do it. These claims have aroused that critical opinion, and the NBA should be concerned by that. If people say they don't trust this game anymore, that could be the beginning of the end."[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b David J. Stern, National Basketball Association. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ Burns, Marty (2002-05-07). In terms of dollars, Jordan was NBA's real MVP. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.
- ^ DuPree, David. "NBA Finals are whole new world", USA Today, June 14, 2005. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ http://www.seattlechamber.com/pls/starter/newsletter_detail.read_pdf?v_newsletter_id=181 City of Seattle
- ^ http://celtics.bostonherald.com/otherNBA/view.bg?articleid=183634 Boston Herald.xom
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Larry O'Brien |
NBA Commissioner 1984- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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