NEW YORK: David Stern said yesterday that he will retire as commissioner of the NBA on February 1, 2014, exactly 30 years after taking the job and guiding the league and its superstar players to worldwide fame.
Stern, who announed his decision at an NBA Board of Governors meeting, will be replaced by current NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.
“Adam is going to take us to the next level,” said new NBA board of governors chairman Peter Hart.
“Adam was a no-brainer. He has been there over 20 years. He has been involved in every aspect of the NBA. Continuing the way the NBA is growing around the world is paramount and Adam is the one who can do it.”
Stern joined the NBA as its general counsel in 1978 and became an executive vice president in 1980. He replaced Larry O’Brien as commissioner in 1984.
“It has been a great run and it will continue for another 15 months,” said Stern. “The league is in terrific condition.
“I would like to think that I did an adequate job, but one of the things I did best was to provide a successor ... that will be able to take things to the next level.”
The NBA expanded from 23 to 30 clubs during Stern’s tenure but made huge leaps in global popularity after NBA talent began playing in the Olympics starting with the 1992 Barcelona gold medal US “Dream Team” of superstars that featured Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. AFP
