22, 1942, in Manhattan to William and Anna Stern. It was the sixth consecutive season in which the league had at least 100 international players.ĭavid Joel Stern was born on Sept. The effects of that international growth were apparent on opening night this season, when 108 players from 38 countries and territories populated N.B.A. had opened offices in 15 cities outside the United States and signed agreements to televise games in more than 200 countries, in more than 40 languages. Stern ceded his title to Adam Silver in 2014, the N.B.A. And he is largely responsible for that.”īy the time Mr. in 1984, which was Commissioner’s first year, the average salary was $250,000. “I think people see all the money in sports and think that it was always like that,” Charles Barkley, now a television analyst for Turner Sports, said recently on the program “Inside the N.B.A.” “When I got to the N.B.A. Stern’s stewardship, so did players’ salaries. Stern’s exit, Steve Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion. In 1985, Jerry Reinsdorf bought the Chicago Bulls for $16 million. in 1997 and the N.B.A.’s developmental league, known as the G League, in 2001. Other Stern innovations included the creation of the Women’s N.B.A.
The league, headlined by new stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, reached 30 teams in 2004 with the arrival of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets). Stern’s tenure, including two in Canada in 1995: the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies. Seven new franchises were introduced during Mr.