David J. Stern

David Stern, former NBA Commissioner, led a league that is a model for professional sports in league operations, public service, global marketing and digital technology. Mr. Stern became the NBA’s fourth commissioner on February 1, 1984. Prior to that, he served as the league’s outside counsel from 1966 to 1978; as inside general counsel from 1978 to 1980; and as executive vice president of business and legal affairs from 1980 to 1984.During Mr. Stern’s tenure, the league has added seven franchises; enjoyed a twenty-fold increase in revenues; expanded its national television exposure dramatically; and launched the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. Interest generated by the league’s growing international initiatives has led to the televising of NBA games in 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The NBA’s games are nationally televised on TNT, ESPN and ABC, as well as on NBA TV, which is currently available in more than 45 million homes in the United States. The league’s websites attract more than 55 million unique visitors per month.

An intense commitment to social responsibility both in the United States and around the world has marked Mr. Stern’s tenure as commissioner. In 2005 the league launched NBA Cares; a program through which the NBA, its players and teams have donated more than $120 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 465 places where children and families can live, learn or play.

NBA Cares supports a host of community outreach initiatives including Read to Achieve, NBA FIT, Basketball without Borders, and a myriad of internationally recognized youth-serving programs that focus on education, youth and family development, and health-related causes. The NBA and its players have also supported, among other causes, volunteerism, child abuse prevention, drug abuse prevention, hunger relief, HIV/AIDS awareness, and the Special Olympics.