Sources: David Stern stepping down as NBA commissioner in 2014

Amazingly forgotten in the mass media ever since Stern became commissioner have been the details when, as the NBA's lead counsel, he basically got his ass handed to him in the Connie Hawkins lawsuit, paying out a huge (for the time) settlement and establishing a potentially disastrous precedent.

 

Tim Donaghy

 

Marketing. He made the league a major player. Of course, it helped that he had some really marketable players and coaches along the way.

 

+1

 

I'd be interested to really know why the Donaghy story didn't get more traction. That had all the makings of a blow-the-roof-off scandal.

 

Heard Adam Silver was selected by drawing his name out of the lottery tumbler.

And yeah. Michael Jordan "retired" from a multi-million dollar basketball career to ride buses in the Deep South and flirt with the Mendoza Line as a 33-year-old or whatever. That makes sense.

 

Woj comes strong (as you would expect) with this one:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--david-stern-s-final-act--promote-the-myth-of-david-stern-25321709.html

 

That was my first thought when the story broke: Stern wants a 15-month farewell tour.

 

Love this jab at the end: "From the beach and someday the grave, Stern will have this league rigged for his legacy forever and ever."

Stern was a true dictator. Indeed, he usually made the trains run on time. But the flip side is that, justifiably or unjustifiably, Stern was going to be the center of conspiracy theories any time something magically happened in the league's favor. Was there a bent envelope in the Ewing lottery? Maybe not -- but surely everyone knew he wanted Ewing in New York. Did he order the refs to give superstar treatment, especially for high-profile teams? Maybe not -- but everyone knew he wanted those teams to advance far in the playoffs. Did he arrange a deal for Michael Jordan to "retire" before his gambling problems got too big and public? Maybe not -- but everyone knew that a Jordan gambling scandal would devastate the league.

Of course, the owners shut up about this, because under Stern they were making shitloads of money. Which is really the commissioners job -- make sure the league is strong so owners get paid and their franchise values go up. Everyone else is secondary.

 

Those able to give that story traction were too entwined in the continuation and even the success of the NBA to give it its proper coverage. Not necessarily the actual reporters but the corporate media owners couldn't have the public think that the games were anything less than completely authentic.

 

It's also a tribute to how Stern's iron fist could make sure no one said nuthin' to nobody.

By the way, Richard Esquinas may not be talking anymore because he's found inner peace, so he's got that going for him:

http://www.theamericanyogi.com/About_Me.html