David Stern, the former NBA commissioner of 30 years, has passed away on Wednesday afternoon at the age of 77. Stern was hospitalized due to a brain hemorrhage he suffered three weeks ago.
According to a statement released by the NBA, he was accompanied by his wife Dianne and family at the time of his passing.
Current NBA commissioner Adam Silver reflected on his relationship with Stern.
“For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends,” Silver said. “We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals – preparation, attention to detail, and hard work.
Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration. Our deepest condolences go out to David’s wife, Dianne, their sons, Andrew and Eric, and their extended family, and we share our grief with everyone whose life was touched by him.”
During Stern’s tenure, the NBA witnessed unparalleled growth, becoming one of the most popular professional sports worldwide. Stern’s leadership created pipelines to recruit and develop players from Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. Opening countries such as China (with a population of over 2 billion people) to the sport, helping the average valuation of each NBA team reach $1.9 billion last year.
Stern oversaw the expansion of the NBA into Miami, Minnesota, Orlando, and Charlotte. The sport also crossed the border into Canada with Vancouver and the defending Champions Toronto Raptors.
“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,” said Silver.
