David Stern, Former NBA Commissioner, Dead At 77
On Wednesday, David Stern, the former commissioner of the National Basketball Association sadly passed away at the age of 77. The NBA released a statement revealing that Stern died from a brain hemorrhage he suffered several weeks ago.
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As CBS News reports, Stern, who became the fourth commissioner of the NBA on February 1, 1984, had previously served as the NBA’s general counsel from 1978 until 1980, and then as Executive Vice President of the NBA from 1980 until 1984. Stern decided he would step down in February 2014, and tapped Adam Silver as his replacement. NBA commissioner Adam Silver remembered him as a mentor, a dear friend and “one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.”
“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. 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,” Silver said in a statement.
Stern is survived by his wife, Dianne, and their two sons, Eric and Andrew.
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