There are so many different types of commissioners in the world. There are governmental commissioners, firefighter and police commissioners, as well as sporting commissioners. The old NBA commissioner, David Stern, made some suspect decisions during his time that changed the face of the NBA, mostly for the worse. Remember when Stern vetoed the Chris Paul trade? Imagine Kobe and Paul on the same floor. Due to the age limit players like Andrew Wiggins, Derrick Rose, and other deemed “NBA ready players,” risked injury and their futures by spending one year in college. These are two of many restrictions put in place by Stern that didn’t help the NBA grow at all. But now there is a new man in charge, someone who cares not only about the NBA as a whole, but also about each and every basketball player worldwide.
Adam Silver took over for David Stern in 2014 and immediately hit the ground running, already making moves to better the basketball world. This past summer, NBA players gathered for the first game ever in South Africa. Silver did this as an effort to globalize the NBA to reach new fan bases and bring basketball around the world. Last season, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and Silver visited Mumbai, India in an effort to help basketball grow.
According to the NBA, “The program provides children in India with the opportunity to learn and play the game of basketball and has reached more than 750,000 young people.”
Another great part of Silver, is his zero tolerance policy for anything negative in the NBA. Last season, Clippers owner Donald Sterling made heinous racial remarks that were released to the public. Sterling was banned from the NBA for life, fined the maximum 2.5 million dollars by the NBA, and pushed to sell the team in order to get a new owner for the Clippers (Steve Balmer of Microsoft bought them). This all happened as quickly as possible, and shows how Silver runs the NBA like a tight ship.
Silver has a soft side though, and does not always have to lay the hammer. In the 2014 NBA draft, Silver made a ceremonial pick to Baylor center, Isaiah Austin, a projected first round pick until he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. Austin’s dream was to be drafted to the NBA, and when that dream wasn’t obtainable Silver promised Austin a job in the NBA once he graduated from Baylor University.
“Adam Silver really wants me to be a part of the organization, and I’m thankful for the opportunity that he’s giving me,” Austin said. According to ESPN.com Austin was working with the NBA Cares movement, which includes the NBA Green project, Basketball without Borders and NBA Cares Hoops For Troops.
In Silver’s first year as NBA commissioner, he has achieved so much and made the NBA one of the premier sporting associations worldwide. He has already discussed future plans of changing the NBA for the better in such ways as making it a no conference 16-team playoff system, which would make for more competitive games year-round. He also has discussed holding regular season games overseas, to expand the market of the NBA.
In the small amount of time as NBA commissioner, it’s hard to believe Silver will slip up in the near future. The NBA is in great hands with Silver, and the next years of him in power should be great.
Jake Bass is a junior majoring in sports journalism. His column runs biweekly.
