San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich dubbed David Stern “a force of nature” after learning of his passing on Wednesday.
Stern passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77 due to complications from a brain hemorrhage that he suffered roughly two weeks ago. Sadly, the former NBA commissioner was unable to recover and passed with family members by his hospital bed. He spent three decades as the NBA's top executive.
“David Stern was an iconic figure, but that’s quite an understatement,” Popovich said, via Tom Osborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “What he was, was a force of nature, an amazing businessman, leader, manager, a man who took over in the mid-eighties as commissioner at a difficult time…(He's) why we are all here and doing well.”
Stern will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in recent sports history. He led the NBA in one of its brightest eras, bringing world-wide recognition and instituting several rule changes along the way. He's also responsible for the creation of the WNBA and the NBA's Developmental League (now the G League). Were it not for his efforts, the NBA would not be the global game that it is today. The Spurs coach is well aware of that impact.
“He nurtured it,” Popovich said of Stern. “He worked very hard, with discipline, with courage, to establish what we have today. We all owe him a lot. And, again, we feel for the family.”
Like Popovich, the crew at ClutchPoints would like to send our deepest condolences to the Stern family. May his legacy live on in the game he helped globalize.
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