Former NBA commissioner David Stern tragically past away this past week at the age of 77. Stern was known for his incredible work with the NBA that saw the league become a global brand. Stern helped make the league what it is today and numerous players paid their respects to the man who pioneered a whole era. If you ever dreamt about playing in the NBA, Stern was always a part of that dream as he would be the man you shake hands with on your draft day. This fantasy is something Kawhi Leonard knows all too well.
According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points, Leonard was recently asked about Stern's impact and his memories of the former commish. As the Clippers star explained, he always thought about walking across the draft day stage and shaking Stern's hand. Luckily for Kawhi, it was a fantasy he got to live out.
“Just knowing that if I really wanted to get here, I would have to shake his hand to be able to enter the league... I got the opportunity to do that and meet him," Leonard said.
Leonard was drafted 15th overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2011. Since then, he has enjoyed a successful career that includes two NBA titles with two different teams. Stern was a part of Leonard's dream which just goes to show what kind of impact the commissioner had.
David Stern, Former NBA Commissioner, Dead At 77: Report
RIP to a legend.
Former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away on Wednesday afternoon, the league announced. He was in serious condition following surgery for a brain hemorrhage on December 12. Stern was 77. Stern’s wife, Dianne, and their family were with him at his bedside, the league stated. “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action,” current NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. 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.”
Stern was NBA commissioner from 1984 to 2014 and helped grown the NBA into one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. Stern was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, and was the longest-tenured NBA commissioner by far. Stern also founded the WNBA in 1996. He was known for implementing rules that aimed to control players; Stern introduced the league’s first drug testing and salary cap, and he instituted a dress code (infamously condemned by Allen Iverson).
Stern brought in seven expansion teams: the Bobcats, Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets, Magic, Raptors, and Timberwolves. He also helped relocate six other teams, including the Supersonics’ move from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Stern was born in New York City in 1942, and spent his childhood in New Jersey as a Knicks fan. He was married to his wife for 56 years at the time of his death.
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