Why David Stern is beloved
Showing you care means a lot to people
David J. Stern died on Wednesday at age 77 three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He had retired as NBA commissioner after a 30-year reign just six years ago. He was undoubtedly the most consequential American sports commissioner in the modern media age, and as shown by the outpouring of love and compliments that sprang from all corners on Wednesday, he was beloved by a wide swath of the basketball community despite decades of controversy and some very unpopular decisions during his tenure.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a graceful obituary that didn’t sugarcoat Stern’s less-than-graceful personal traits. Woj calls Stern a “complete force of nature,” and that’s absolutely right. He was the NBA’s tempest, for ill and more often good. His fingerprints were on everything, and there was never going to be another way so long as he was in charge.
Players largely adored Stern, even though he pushed through policies they panned and won every vicious labor battle he brought to the players’ union. Why? Because they saw how much he cared about the sport — as much as they did, even though he wore a suit instead of sneakers.
Most fans loved Stern because they saw how fan-focused he always was, even though he canceled games to squeeze money out of the players’ union twice in 13 years and presided over a high number of relocations, some of them (like Seattle) truly brutal. Some fans reveled in the conspiracy theories and scandals that seemed to follow Stern — frozen envelope, 2002, Jordan’s first retirement, Donaghy. Some fans appreciated his brashness and relished his Popovichian answers to media questions. Mostly, fans — like players — saw how much he cared about the sport. He was a fan, just like them.
There’s no secret why members of the media mostly loved Stern: he fought over every piece of information, he argued every opinion, he was never wrong … and he never got personal. He cared about people. He remembered people. (The one time I met him, he told an incredible inside joke that frankly still floors me.) And as with players and fans, reporters saw how much he cared about the sport. Most members of the media spend their adult lives surrounded by the sport. They grow affinity for it, if they didn’t have it already. Stern’s imprint is inseparable from that. He cares as much as they do, and they care as much as he did.
You could rank 10 bad ideas Stern implemented and have honorable mentions to spare. You can cite a number of times he pushed too hard, or times he didn’t push hard enough. But you can’t deny all the great things he, as commissioner, created and grew and pushed and willed into existence. And you can never, ever claim he didn’t care about the fate of basketball. That matters when we remember him, and it will always matter.
Scores
Magic 122, Wizards 101
Blazers 93, Knicks 117 — what an awful loss for Portland, absolute nightmare defense
Wolves 104, Bucks 106
Suns 107, Lakers 117
Schedule
Busy 9-game slate, but no TNT action this week. All times Eastern. Games on League Pass unless otherwise noted.
Hornets at Cavaliers, 7
Nuggets at Pacers, 7
Raptors at Heat, 7:30, NBA TV
Jazz at Bulls, 8
Warriors at Wolves, 8
Nets at Mavericks, 8:30
Thunder at Spurs, 8:30
Grizzlies at Kings, 10
Pistons at Clippers, 10:30, NBA TV
Links
Extremely good Jarrett Culver dunk on Robin Lopez followed by some trash talk and a kerfuffle. The amazing thing here is that Culver got a tech (for taunting) and Lopez didn’t (despite the shove).
Darren Collison, who retired this summer to spend more time with his church, is looking at coming back into the NBA fold. The Lakers and Clippers are reportedly his preferred destination. The Clippers absolutely do not need his services (despite him being pretty good). The Lakers really could use him.
Jonathan Isaac suffered a terrible-looking knee injury in Orlando’s win over Washington. But at this point, it’s being called a hyperextension with an MRI to come.
Ricky O’Donnell ranked the 30 best men’s college basketball players of the decade.
A beautiful missive on Stern from Ethan Strauss. David Aldridge’s piece on Stern’s passing was full and lovely. Same for Sam Amick’s piece. Vincent Goodwill on Stern’s mystique. Marc Stein wrote an excellent obituary. So did Chris Ballard. Dan Devine reflects on Stern’s love of the game. Ben Golliver on Stern’s fighting spirit. Jeff Zillgitt on Stern’s greatest feat being his reaction to and support of Magic Johnson in 1991. Marcos Breton on what Stern meant to Sacramento.
The staff at The Crossover have some wild predictions for the NBA in the 2020s.
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Be excellent to each other.