Who Is The NBA Commissioner?

• Years Active: 2014- present

Adam Silver stepped in as Commissioner for an aging David Stern in 2014, although it was formally announced that he would become commissioner in 2012. Silver spent his earlier NBA days as their Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for eight years. He was tasked with such things as negotiating television deals, helping develop the WNBA, and managing it's other relations.

Since 2014, Adam Silver has made a number of significant changes to the leagues format. First, he changed the draft lottery to incentivize teams not to tank, which hasn't fully been seen as successful. Another major change that Silver made was introducing the play-in tournament at the end of the season, allowing teams on the bubble to earn a spot in the post-season tournament.

However, the most high profile move that Silver has made since becoming NBA Commissioner is how he handled the controversial situation with former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was caught on tape expressing defamatory comments about minorities at his game. Silver swiftly banned Stern from the league and forced him to sell the team, winning the approval of many NBA fans.

• Years Active: 1984-2014

To be remembered as a commissioner in professional sports, you have to be polarizing, and David Stern was just that. For as many incredible things that Stern did to help grow the league into the powerhouse today, there were his equally not so bright moments.

The main success that David Stern can be contributed to was changing how the NBA markets its league. Instead of focusing on the teams, Stern put an emphasis on the players. Marketing the games as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and so many more display their incredible talents.

There were several fumbles that Stern had to face, including two lockouts that delayed the season due to a disagreement in the player bargaining rights. There are also rumors that Stern rigged the 1985 NBA draft so the New York Knicks could secure Patrick Ewing, but we'll leave that one as just a fun conspiracy in NBA lore.

Stern unfortunately passed in 2020 but will always be remembered as a trailblazer for the NBA. The league would never have reached the heights it has, or been able to bring the game to all parts of the world without David Stern and basketball fans should be forever grateful for that.