Sources: David Stern stepping down as NBA commissioner in 2014

Only modern commish with a porn stache.

 

I think the story did not gain more traction because the people who know about bad things are generally bad people. While bad people do on occasion tell the truth, no one, to my knowledge, has been able to come up with independent evidence that backs up Donaghy or anyone else's allegations.

If someone has evidence that can be corroborated please start a new thread. I would be interested.

 

Eight different teams have won titles under Stern. In the ten years prior to Stern taking over, eight different teams won titles.

It's an interesting discussion though - is Stern's vision of a few dominant teams preferable to the NFL and MLB's parity? Is it the nature of the different sports?

 

It's the nature of the sport, Dan. The period before Stern's tenure was an aberration. Prior to 1975, something like five or six teams won titles in 30 years, and the Minneapolis/LA Lakers and Boston Celtics won more than half of 'em, thanks to George Mikan and Bill Russell.

 

Considering there were only about 10 teams before the mid-60s, not a surprise. I'd also say that number of teams formed between the mid-60s were a lot more competitive, a lot sooner than pretty much every new team from the 80s on. Only 1 of the 7 new teams under Stern have won titles. Six of the 13 that joined between 61-84 have won titles.
Don't know if it means anything, but I do think the league was more competitive.

 

With more teams, it became more difficult for many of them to obtain the Hall of Fame players needed to win titles, because the number of Hall of Famers at any given is pretty much a constant. You're right. Hell, the '60s Celtics had like six. The '60s Lakers had two Hall of Famers, big-timer ones, too, West and Baylor, and couldn't beat Boston.

 

I will say this. Under Stern, the game's popularity has soared globally.

 

Hence, the mob. He was just the fall guy, kind of like Hoffa.

 

I realize hoops takes a backseat to hockey in Toronto, but 8 million plus is nothing to sneeze at in terms of market size.
I'd argue it has more to do with the GM and the franchise more than anything. You've got the Lakers who get their pick of FAs and the Clippers who need to beg. The Warriors, the Sixers and the Wizards are all in bigger markets than the Heat and we know what has happened there.

You do wonder though if the marketing potential (something that I don't think was even a concept back before the 80s) is the biggest difference in player movement. Seems pretty clear that any player is "better" and more attractive to advertisers if they are wearing a Lakers or Celtics jersey than they are wearing a Grizzlies or Timberwolves uni.

 

If I supported one of the NBA's many irrelevant franchises, I might dislike Stern.