David Stern, the legendary NBA commissioner, has passed away this Wednesday at the age of 77. One of the biggest sportspeople in history died due to a brain haemorrhage, suffered some three weeks ago.
Stern’s Massive Influence on Basketball
There wasn’t a person with such an influence on one sport like Stern had an impact on the NBA and basketball in general. He would transform the league into a global brand, and a show which hasn’t been seen before. In more than three decades in charge, Stern has made the NBA the most popular competition in the world. He would transform it into a role model in terms of the organizations for all other sports as well.
“Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration,” said the current commissioner and the former colleague Adam Silver.
He and Stern had been working for years together, with the latter one being a protege of the older co-worker. While spending time under Stern, Silver had the opportunity to learn from his moves, and see thoroughly how the NBA developed form one problematic league, in which teams often ended up in bankruptcy, to a wealthiest sports organization on the globe, with immense power.
The rise of the league came right after his appointment, as he cleverly used Magic-Bird rivalry in making a show and profitable spectacle made just for the fans in the US.
However, he would later expand it throughout the world, once he decided to send the pros to the Olympics in Barcelona, and create the first Dream Team ever.
The Legacy
The Dream Team is the first of many things David Stern has left for the generations to come. Jordan, Pippen, Bird, Magic, Barkley and many more were seen at one place, which was something revolutionary at the time.
After this came the era of Micheal Jordan, which Stern also used to make a breakthrough on the international stage, riding on the popularity of Air Michael, who has become the biggest sports star seen up to that point. We could say that the two parties had mutual cooperation with one helping the other in terms of marketing.
Once MJ left, the NBA entered the Chinese and the Asian market, with Yao Ming becoming the No.1 pick in 2002 draft. The last years of his ruling were dedicated to Africa as he slowly prepared the terrain to enter the continent with the highest potential when it comes to the future stars.
But his reign wasn’t only about the various foreign projects. Many forgot that David Stern himself influenced the birth of the WNBA and G-League. Back in 1997, Stern was one of the key, if not the critical factor for creating the ladies basketball league.
As for the G-League that was a project of his own. He wanted to open more possibilities to the players, and make a corridor to the NBA for the ones who haven’t been that lucky during the college or high school.
The passing of David Stern is no doubt the tragedy for the basketball world. But on the other side, his life and his work were a blessing.
