Whats the rule on how long he gets to stay commisioner? Does he just retire when he wants? All this new ball controversy is making me think about how things are going to change when Stern leaves(If he ever does...). I personally don't like him at all and i think hes ruining the game. But seriously if he thinks this ball is "revolutionary" and amazing why the hell are all the players complaining now... The NBA this season just seems different... Everything is gone the wrong way IMO. Especially the tech's now. I just wished things weren't changed and they were the same as last year. Maybe im overreacting but ill have to wait till later in the season.
You can dislike him all you want, but to say he's "ruining the game" is simply not true. Just ask people that had to watch NBA Finals games on tape delay at midnight if he's ruined the game
Since he made the NBA relevant and international and the model for all American pro leagues. He is commish til the owners say 'No, go.'
David Stern has a contract that he and the owners agree on, I think it's been one year contracts for awhile. David Stern, along with Magic Larry and Michael, made what is the NBA today. Remember that the NBA had a bad drug image before Stern came along and afterwards, well the NBA has been on a upward climb ever since. He's probably not going to leave anytime soon and yeah he'll leave when he wants to because he keeps getting for the owners what they want: money. Now, with the dress code and the whine to the refs rule and the Cuban rule, the NBA is turning up the notch on it's PC image, which is their prerogative as the clientele that matters the most to them (corporate white collar world) prolly doesn't like the rich multimillionares that dress like gangstas and frat boys and whine like little biotches image that they were seeing (including a sissy owner that whines on his blog). Having brawls in games with fans don't help their image either. The ball, well the players will get used to it, a ball is a ball is ball...Hell, I'll use a beach ball if that's what they give me if I got a 50 million dollar contract.
While I HATE the new ball,David seems to have the Midas touch. v3.0 pretty much summed up my feelings,except for the ball.I really hope they go back to leather.As to why he did it I would expect somewhere in there $$$$$ is playing a role.... not good.
Stern may runs things like a mafia boss, but it's hard to argue that he hasn't been one of the best pro commissoners in sports history. Look at Bud Selig, who makes decisions purely on public polls. Despite adding some good things like the wild card and interleague play, He's f-ed up repeatedly and baseball has suffered for it. Tagliabue was very good, but also didn't have to deal with too much. His best moves were locking down on drug testing and on-field antics. Stern's been a marketing genius and the owners recognize that no less than a third of their profits wouldn't exist if it weren't for his aggressive work with sponsers and nailing TV deals. Sometimes that's led to unpopular moves, such as the playoffs being stretched out almost as long as the regular season and the new ball (major dollars coming from Spalding to replace the leather ball with one they can sell in stores). The players flipped out about the dress code, and they're incensed over the Rasheed rule, but Stern knows who's coming to games and he's making sure their dollars don't walk out. The players have to face facts that a "let us be who we are" philosophy damages their appeal to corporate suits (re: the majority of the money) tremendously. Whenever you ask someone that doesn't like the NBA, odds are fantastic that their explanation is: it's just a bunch of punks and thugs out there - I'd rather watch the college game. Stern knows that too. Also, he's far and away the best interview out of any commish in sports. High entertainment. Evan
When it comes to expanding NBA revenue, Stern has done a fantastic job. The league has come a long way during his term. His success has given him almost a blank check from the owners. I've thought for a couple of years it's time for him to go. Sometimes people with great success tend to stay on too long, and that's my opinion about him. At this point, he's past his prime effectiveness. The NBA needs new leadership. But I'm sure he feels the league needs him more than ever with the big push around the globe. IMO, the new basketball is an example of Stern making a huge mistake. Because he is such a powerful figure, he can shove it down everyone's throat anyway by sheer force of his will.
