It's nearly impossible for a business or organization to last without a great leader running the show, it definitely wouldn't last for over 50 years like the NBA has. There has only been 4 commissioners in league history. David Stern, Larry O'Brien, J. Walter Kennedy, and Maurice Podoloff. Each one had their fair share of mistakes, and each one had a good amount of success.I always here the negative things about David Stern. "He is making NBA players dress up, "He wants to get rid of music at the games" Blah Blah Blah. Why doesn't anybody ever talk about the great things he has done for the NBA? Lets take a look shall we?1.) He invented the settlement between the NBA that created a free agency system.2.) He invented the Collective Bargaining Agreement agreement that introduced the salary cap and revenue sharing.3.) He invented professional sports first anit-drug agreement.4.) The creator of NBA Entertainment, Which has won awards. He also created NBA.COM and NBATV.5.) Since he was made commish in 1984. The NBA has seen its greatest growth of all time in popularity.6.) He's Jewish (Added by BCB)Thoughts? I got some info from a book I have.
I completely agree, the minor issues people have with him are overshadowed by all the good he's done for the league, making the NBA what it is today.
Tony, its nice that you make these points..So many people overlook this and just look at the negatives. Everyone would make mistakes and do something they'd regret as Commish of the NBA. He's not nessacarely a real basketball type guy, but he is a true buissnes man, and he knows whats best for the future of the league and the image of the league means alot to him.
I think that David Stern is the best commisioner in NBA history by far. All of the things that David Stern has done to the game like the dress code has given a better face to the league IMO. They dont accept anything but the best is what it shows. He has also done many amazing and influental things that you have listed. He is the 2nd best commisioner in proffesional sports. Besides Tagliabu(spelling)
I agree. He has done a ton for the League, and without him it would just not be the same. He has done very well besides some of the dress code things that seems sort of questionable to me, but I understand where he is coming from by that. He doesnt want the leage to turn into 106th and Park..
Tony...you forgot to add that he's Jewish to your list. :beerchug: I like Stern...your not going to please everything.
NO commish does everything right, and I'll agree he's probably the best commish the NBA has had, even if he's not at the top of my list for commishes right now, or all time in any sport.But he does have to do something to fix the referees...that's the only black mark on his resume' if you ask me.
He's credited for growth a little too much. Streetball was on a pretty good rise thoughout the seventies, the leagues had just merged in 1976, and lets not forget the era of Jordan/Bird/Showtime/etc. was just beginning. I'll give him credit on the other things, but he was in the right place at the right time when it came to growth in popularity, at least in my opinion.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JustBlaze @ Jul 3 2006, 06:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Where are the haters?</div>I'm too busy recruiting. I want dem gumballs! :boxin: After the playoffs I lost all respect for him. You all can believe what you want but that thread Melo started, I agree with him and the suspensions in the postseason were stupid. He tries to change too much. I'm just waiting until that big thing he does so I can laugh at the Stern lovers.Same thing with the Sarver lovers on Suns boards.
Yes, Stern is the greatest, Hai Stern (nazi reference)The dude is power mad. He is the worst thing to happen to the NBA. He used to be an average commish in my book and I supported his 19 year old age limit, but the dress code is BS and is what started my anti-Stern feelings. This isn't a regular business, lets get that straight. What kind of a regular business pays its employees millions and millions of dollars and treats them like baseball cards at times trading them away whenever. The whole lets make them dress up because its a business thing is just bogus because of that. You don't like all the "bling bling" bullsh**, then fine ban that. But suit and tie?!?! Come on now, is a simple T-Shirt and jeans not good enough after these guys that just went all out on the court for the entertainment of the fans. Also, El Presidente Stern wants to get rid of the tights guys like Jerry Stackhouse wears. There are plenty of guys like Stackhouse who wear it for bad knees and legs and might wear it because it helps prevent injuries, Stern feels its unfashionable (does his constant concern about big black guys looking good worry anyone?) and wants to ban it He also doesn't like the shorts to be too long, he's more of a fan of the old school, let-me-see-your-package-hang-out type of shorts. EWWWWW!!! I want as much freaking pants as possible for them to cover that up. And the music!!! Come on, it brings energy to the game and since there aren't many clock stops like in hockey and football and baseball (no clocks even) the fans need that extra something and it does help. Why does he want to get rid of some of the loud rap music? Because a 90 year old friend of his said the music was too loud. That old son of a bi*ch has no rightful place in their unless he is in the owner's box signing paychecks.Now to some of the worst things he's done since then. The hypocrite doesn't allow any complaining about the officiating, yet has no problem with looking back at plays and giving out suspensions. His whole league is rigged too. Can you explain to me who DJ Mbenga who was inactive for that game against the Suns was able to get suspended a game longer than Davis when no altercation occured and the only similarity between the 2 conflicts was that nothing happened with DJ's while Davis nearly got into a huge fight with a guy. Or how about Stackhouse getting suspended a game for fouling Shaq (he walked it off in a few seconds) while Shaq doesn't get suspended for splitting his nose open. He also decides to have the worst refs in the league decide the most important games in the season. If he wants to improve the game itself instead of trying to improve how his athletes look *cough*fairy*cough*, how about adding another ref in the playoffs or at least the final 2 rounds where there is plenty of guys available. AND DON'T HAVE THE SAME sh*tty ONES LIKE JOE DEROSA!!! While this officiating F*ck-up was best seen in the finals since it was so one-sided towards the more Jordan like player and team that had the more Jordan like player, but inconsistencies were seen throughout the playoffs. You could choose any game you want and see huge differences between quarters on how the refs called fouls. In baseball, you know after the first few pitches how the ump is going to be judging the strike zone. In basketball, you'll have a bump be shrugged off by the refs on one guy, but that same bump will be a blocking foul if its on King James.But hey, at least we know that all the matchups were fair. I mean, seeing San Antonio and Dallas in the second round of the playoffs was great, right?
Jesus man. I doubt anyone cares or will read that. No one will get into a debate about an NBA commish in my eyes..
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Jul 3 2006, 08:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Jesus man. I doubt anyone cares or will read that. No one will get into a debate about an NBA commish in my eyes..</div>It's a quick read. If no one wanted to talk about the commish no one wouldve made the topic.
So the response to an explanation of my dislike of Stern and being a "Stern hater" is I'm not going to read that. So much for being "pwned".
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SternSucksRooster @ Jul 3 2006, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>So the response to an explanation of my dislike of Stern and being a "Stern hater" is I'm not going to read that. So much for being "pwned".</div>Very thoughtful response, However you never once proved any other commish to be better than David Stern has.
I have a question. How long has Stern been the commish? Is anyone on this board old enough to actually know about the past commisioners and be able to argue that?
He's a great commissioner but he could EASILY be a better one if he just kept from doing some things.Like the age limit, I definitely think that it's the player's choice, choices make men. The dress code is a little strict, I agree, the game may get a bad light because some of its players dress like thugs but is it really going to lose viewers over that? If anything it will gain viewers, you saw how people lined up to see Dennis Rodman. Guys who say and do crazy things are a godsend for marketing.And the new ball just pisses me off. Supposedly it's easier to grip but it hurts players shooting percentages, after 50 years of the same ball they're gonna change it, why?Overall though, the guy's been a hero to the sport.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Jul 3 2006, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I have a question. How long has Stern been the commish? Is anyone on this board old enough to actually know about the past commisioners and be able to argue that?</div>No, but I'm sure if you looked into it you could see the kind of accomplishments they made.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ArizonaFan @ Jul 4 2006, 12:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I have a question. How long has Stern been the commish? Is anyone on this board old enough to actually know about the past commissioners and be able to argue that?</div>I'm only 17 and I know alot about the past commissioners in the NBA. I'm sure some of the older members do also. By the way, Stern has been a commish for 22 years. ( He started Jordans rookie year)
I've read up on all of the commisioners now and they all seem to be close. Stern came in at the best time he could have. The 80's and early 90's were a great time with Magic-Bird and the greatest player of all time, MJ(after all those players left the league lost plenty of fans.) I still can't say who's the best because that site only says the good things about all of them.
A guy on FPM said about the new ball that it is the only time in sports history that people changed how a game was played to decrease scoring which I think is basically true. Higher scoring equals better ratings and more entertainment. Mr. Stern can't figure that out which is why he had to rig the finals this year after having an embarassment of a finals last year. That instantly makes him the worst commish in my mind.In the history of the NBA, there have been 4 actual commisioners including David Stern. Yay, he's top 4. What a f*cking amazing accomplishment. Lets see what each commish has done:-Maurice Podoloff1. Created the NBA in a way2. Draft3. Basically led the NBA to have some national interest-Walter Kennedy1. Expands NBA to 18 teams2. Gets first big TV contract3. Turns the NBA into a major and profitable corporation-Larry O'Brien1. Merged NBA and ABA2. Adds 5 teams3. Brings NBA to cable4. Salary Cap5. Not only saves the sport from decline, but once again revives all interest in it to a whole new level6. Organizes FA rules a bit better7. 3 pt field goal-David Stern1. Milked MJ's milk dry2. Got super freaking lucky that the first draft while he was commisioner turned out some of the league's largest superstars (also when that superstar treatment first really started, maybe its just a coincidence instead of a conspiracy)3. Has destroyed any physical contact in the game and turned it into 12 year old girls playing basketball4. He did get 7 more teams to the NBA and has taken the sport internationalI'm leaving out all the rule changes and things like that for just the big picture. Tell me, is David Stern better than the guy who created the NBA, the guy who the championship trophy is named after, or the guy that first made the sport popular on television and to the public?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BALLAHOLLIC @ Jul 4 2006, 12:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yes I do. Is that a problem? haha.</div>Really? What do you study?But about Stern - he's been great for the league, all the points in the original post sums it up perfectly (except when BCB added that he was Jewish haha). But it's the little things that irk me about Stern. Like changing the ball, the suspensions/non-suspensions (Evans' ball grab), wanting to extend the 3-pt line, etc. Now I hear something about having ads on jerseys? I hate all these little changes he's making. But as a whole, and everything he's done for for league (globalizing the league, CBA, free agency, discipline, dress code) has been great. The only thing I hate is those little minor changes he likes to make.
