David Stern

Birth Name:

David Stern

Birth Place:

New York City, New York, United States

Announced plans to retire as Commissioner on February 1, 2014, 30 years to the day that he initially took office
Instrumental in creating the WNBA in April of 1996
An undergraduate of Rutgers University, he eventually went on to attend Columbia Law School in 1966
Quote: "[Regarding the relocation of franchises] "I don't see any scenario where both cities are happy․""
Credited for broadening the audience of professional basketball on a worldwide scale, while also increasing profits for the league more than 30 times that of what they were when he took office
Initially got his start in the NBA while serving as general counsel to the league while under Larry O'Brien in 1978 and by 1984 he was fully instated as Commissioner
Best known for enacted the NBA's first policies regarding league-wide dress codes as well as team salary caps
No stranger to controversy, he has been the center of numerous allegations regarding draft lottery fixing as well as player suspensions regarding dress code, banned substances and personal fines

Fast Facts