David Stern, the Commissioner of the NBA from 1984 to 2014, suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage” on Thursday, which required emergency surgery, according to a statement from the NBA. Tim Bontemps of ESPN had the news.
The NBA just released a statement saying David Stern has "suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage earlier today for which he underwent emergency surgery. Our thoughts and prayers are with David and his family.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) December 13, 2019
Stern began his work with the NBA as a lawyer for Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, LLP, the law firm that represents the league, in the case of Robertson v. National Basketball Association, which led to the creation of the salary cap, which still governs the NBA to this day.
By the time the cap came into effect, Stern was already Executive Vice President of the league after being the General Counsel for Commissioner Larry O’Brien prior to that. In addition to the salary cap, the league had also implemented drug testing in order to clean up a league that had the reputation of being plagued by drug use.
Stern took over for Commissioner O’Brien in 1984, for whom the NBA’s championship trophy is named, and oversaw a period of tremendous growth for the NBA during his 30-year tenure as commissioner. The former lawyer became commissioner the same year that four major players entered the league: Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and, most importantly, Michael Jordan.
During Stern’s tenure the NBA expanded to 30 teams, including into Canada with the Grizzlies and Raptors (the Grizz would eventually be relocated to Memphis). He also ratified the NBA’s dress code (which has led to the joyous fashions we see on a night-to-night basis) and been present for four NBA lockouts.
Stern was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
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