David Stern vs. Adam Silver

Debating on who was the better NBA commissioner

Image courtesy of YouTube

The NBA has been one of the fast growing sporting leagues around the world. WIth so many teams and players to see, there is so much to learn and watch if fans are learning about the NBA.

I personally believe that fans should also know about who is running the league, in the past.

Comparing David Stern and Adam Silver is an interesting debate for me as they represent two different philosophies of leadership. To break down this topic, we have to value empire-building and foundational transformation.

So who are the two commissioners and how did they transform the NBA? Who was better?

David Stern (1984–2014)

From 1984 to 2014, David Stern ran the NBA. The league was in urgent care by the time he took over in office. NBA Final games were being broadcast on tape delay, while also facing financially strapped. The popularity of the league was also at an all-time low.

Stern saw the international potential of the league before anyone else did. Despite NBA legend Michael Jordan being a key figure on the 1992 Summer Olympic Dream Team, it was anchored by Stern.

By focusing on making the NBA a global brand, other stars like Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki were able to shine.

Image courtesy of YouTube

Like mentioned before, the league was on the brink of going out of business. He brought the league back from the financial brink by implementing the modern salary cap, creating revenue sharing, and securing massive, lucrative television contracts. Some of these networks included NBC and TNT.

Stern also handled some of the most brutal NBA incidents in the history of the sport. He managed situations like the ‘Malice in the Palace’ and the Tim Donaghy referee scandal. He did this by asserting total league control, prioritizing the ‘shield’ of the NBA above all else.

He did have some issues however. His ‘iron fist’ approach often alienated players, most notably via the implementation of the 2005 NBA dress code, which many athletes viewed as culturally tone-deaf.

His tenure was marred by heavy-handed governance. This included multiple lockouts and the controversial vetoed Chris Paul trade to the Lakers in 2011 for ‘basketball reasons’.

Adam Silver (2014-present)

On the other hand, Adam Silver inherited a thriving NBA empire and was tasked with evolving it for a digital, player-centered era. His leadership style is known to be progressive, collaborative and deeply attuned to the modern media landscape.

Silver earned immediate respect in 2014 when he banned ex- Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling for life due to racial and unethical morals on the team.

He also navigated the challenges that the league had during the Covid-19 pandemic, to which he successfully executed the 2020 Orlando Bubble.

Silver has been known to not be afraid of changing tradition. He successfully introduced the NBA Play-In Tournament and the NBA Cup, both which injected much-needed high-stakes energy into the regular season.

He has overseen astronomical rises in franchise valuations and spearheaded massive new media rights deals that allowed the league to see rises in social media trends, although cons include the rise of load management and numerous trade demands.

Image courtesy of YouTube

My Choice

For me, I have to choose David Stern and it is pretty simple. Without his relentless, unwavering vision, the modern NBA might not even exist for Adam Silver to run.

Stern did a lot of the heavy lifting to clean up the league’s image, commercializing the sport and building the league as a global brand.

Unlike Silver, Stern was a commissioner who had the tougher road to climb and the greater impact on the sports history. What do you think?

Thanks for reading!