Good riddance David Stern

[RobToxin]

Also, the guys from Nike, Reebok, and other advertisers who used NBA players as spokesmen had a lot to do with that as well.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

All the Stern conspiracies and "Stern is the Devil" are laughable. Other than Bird and Magic no one, and I repeat NO ONE has done as much for the NBA. I know it's not hip to say that, but it's true and real NBA fans know it.

Nobody doubts that he was a huge part of making the game what it is today, I think we (or at least I do) take issue with how.

Stern was just lucky to be commissioner at the right time. He had Bird, Magic, Kareem, MJ, Kobe and Lebron to increase the games popularity. The rise of the internet helped greatly in spreading the game globally. Stern wasn't special.

What you don't realize is Stern created every one after Bird and Magic. MJ was his pet project and did tons to ensure he was successful and a star. The public wants to watch history, they want to watch the GOAT, and the NBA sells this more and better than any other sport.

Kareem was old by then.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

MJ was his pet project and did tons to ensure he was successful and a star.

Hardly. MJ was getting recognition even at North Carolina. Both MJ and Stern entered the league together. Jordan was going to be a star no matter who was in the drivers seat.

 

[RobToxin]

Also, when giving so much credit to Stern for growing the NBA, I think people are leaving out the fact that all the sports were seeing huge growth in that time frame.

Salaries in all three sports just exploded in this time frame. All the sports (NFL, MLB, NBA) saw expansion to different cities take place. Cable television arrived and suddenly we had sports on every night of the week.

Now, one can argue that the NBA grew more than the NFL and MLB but that's more because the NBA had further to grow than they did. When your NBA Finals is on tape delay, there is nowhere to go but up.

Anyone who was above total incompetence level would have been able to grow the NBA by leaps and bounds during that time period.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Hardly. MJ was getting recognition even at North Carolina. Both MJ and Stern entered the league together. Jordan was going to be a star no matter who was in the drivers seat.

MJ would have been great with or with out Stern and a star either way, but a combination of Stern and the growing markets made him what he is. The right guy at the perfect time.

 

[RoboticDreams]

MJ would have been great with or with out Stern and a star either way, but a combination of Stern and the growing markets made him what he is. The right guy at the perfect time.

Possibly. The problem is he outlasted his usefullness. Towards the end he was grossly negligent. He will always be considered the commish that had shady dealings going on. The Patrick Ewing to New York ordeal. The Tim Donaghy situation. The nixed Chris Paul deal only to allow him to be traded to the fucking CLIPPERS. He was certainly no prince of virtue.

 

[Am I Blue Through it All?]

Possibly. The problem is he outlasted his usefullness. Towards the end he was grossly negligent. He will always be considered the commish that had shady dealings going on. The Patrick Ewing to New York ordeal. The Tim Donaghy situation. The nixed Chris Paul deal only to allow him to be traded to the fucking CLIPPERS. He was certainly no prince of virtue.

At this stage, I am more concerned about the character of the people he has left behind. Everyone know this guy is a dooosh.

 

[Black Adam]

At this stage, I am more concerned about the character of the people he has left behind. Everyone know this guy is a dooosh.

you DO pose an interesting question there. and with Adam Silver taking over it won't be long before we all know the answer...

 

[rayhl111]

The best Commissioner period.

 

[RegentDenali]

Possibly. The problem is he outlasted his usefullness. Towards the end he was grossly negligent. He will always be considered the commish that had shady dealings going on. The Patrick Ewing to New York ordeal. The Tim Donaghy situation. The nixed Chris Paul deal only to allow him to be traded to the fucking CLIPPERS. He was certainly no prince of virtue.

Fixing the outcomes of playoff series to maximize revenue. Jordan rule. Preferential treatment by the refs to certain players . Guaranteed contracts. Total lack of parity in the league thus any given year, only 3-4 usually major market franchises have any hope to get to a finals with usually one team is the obvious one to win it all.

Stern is a fucking clown and has turned the league into prowrestling with a basketball.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

I guess Stern just sat in his office and did little to nothing to improve the NBA, according to the stuff im reading.

I dont care who you think was a better commish, but dont knock what a great job Stern did with this league from where it started.

Its easy to point out the negative stuff. We can do that for any commish.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

People hate Stern for certain things, and think that diminish his resume for what he did for 30 years.

 

[RobToxin]

People hate Stern for certain things, and think that diminish his resume for what he did for 30 years.

He was no Bud Selig for sure.

But he was no Paul Tagliabue either.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

He was no Bud Selig for sure.

But he was no Paul Tagliabue either.

Thats fine! I just hate when people dont give someone their full credit because they dont like the person. I hate Stern too, but im not going to take away what he did for this league in 30 years.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Stern would have been the best ever had he retired about 10 years ago.


The last 10 seasons of Brawling at the Palace, Tim Donaghy, Shady trades, and work stoppage have been a bad decade for him.


He was a solid B-.


That is not bad for a 30 year career.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I still want to know why Stern's salary was a secret?

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I still want to know why Stern's salary was a secret?

He probably gets paid "commission"

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

He probably gets paid "commission"

So what percent of 5.5 billion do you think he got?:

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I think it happens to the majority of people involved in sports


It is rare to retire at the right moment.
We always see guys tarnish their legacy late in the career by sticking around a bit too long.


Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes, Willie Mays, Johnny Unitas, Mack Brown, and zillions of others.....
Very few get to write the John Elway storyline.


Even MJ screwed things up by spending 2 miserable years as a Washington Wizard.


Stern is no different.
He stuck around long enough to go from universal acclaim to mediocrity at the end.