[BS Report] Bill Simmons interviews David Stern

heading there now...

 

He should ask "Why have you suckified the NBA over the past decade and a half?" followed by "is there anything else in life besides ratings and $$$?"

 

It's a business. If it was your company, ratings and money aren't at the top of the list?

 

"If the Hornets win the championship, will you hand the trophy to yourself?"

LOL good question from BS

 

I see your point, but I just think there are better ways to get ratings besides pussifying the game. Maybe this is just an indication of basketball fans decreasing rapidly that has forced Stern to make such decisions.

 

simmons should have asked when he is going to brush his damn teeth

 

Say what you will about Stern, but he's a better interview than any other commish I've ever heard.

 

link?

 

I think I like Stern a lot better after hearing both of his interviews with Simmons. I kinda understand where he comes from with most of his policies now.

 

Probably a stupid question here... but does stern have any rights to fine or punish BS if he publishes any articles that puts stern and NBA in a bad light?

 

For some reason I thought the NBA has some stakes in ESPN. At the very least he could deny any information to a few reporters about the NBA, like black list them.

 

You realize that the NBA globally is more popular that it has ever been, right? You can accuse Stern of a lot of things but if you think he's losing fans you're pretty divorced from reality.

 

Stern's inability to fine or otherwise punish Bill Simmons for writing something negative about the NBA has absolutely zero to do with the US Constitution and it's guarantee of freedom of the press. Perhaps you should take your own advice and check that document out, then you might realize that it protects the press from acts of congress.

ESPN has every right to fine or punish BS for his writing. Stern doesn't because he's not Simmons' boss.

 

Simmons interviewed Stern last year too around the All star break as well and I think they had met a few times before that as well. I seem to recall it was Simmons who had a funny story about a friend tipping him off at the Las Vegas AS game that at the commissioner's kickoff party there will always be pigs and a blanket because it's Stern's favorite snack food. Apparently he flipped out at a previous AS party when it wasn't ordered.

...back to point - Stern and Simmons have a bit of a history so Simmons knows when he can push Stern and when it's not worth the effort. Stern isn't going to be tricked into saying something he doesn't want to say and he isn't going to be goaded into talking about something he doesn't want to. I believe the last time Simmons interviewed Stern, Stern got a little chippy with him at one point when Simmons tried to do just that. Whether you love or hate the commish's policies - you have to respect him as a very very sharp guy.