OFFICIAL: "Farewell and Good Riddance, Commissioner David Stern" Thread

[Venti Quattro]

His 30-year tenure as NBA commish ends on Saturday, February 1, 2014.

You will never be missed.

[HarlemHeat37]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

[AussieFanKurt]

didn't lakers get a ring in 2002 due to sterns love of the lakers?

[Thread]

didn't lakers get a ring in 2002 due to sterns love of the lakers?

& because CWEBB got bored, turned his back on Horry & got murdered in Los Angeles.

It happens.

[adonis827]

Don't let the door hit you on your way out! :D

[Thread]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

Har.

[DMC]

I see what Jew did there.

[lefty]

His 30-year tenure as NBA commish ends on Saturday, February 1, 2014.

You will never be missed.
do you really think Silver will be different ?

[Rogue]

his biggest achievement as the NBA commissioner was affiliating his league to WWE tbh

[apalisoc_9]

None of you non whites and blacks would be posting in this forum if it wasn't for stern...:lol

[irishock]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

And it isn't even close. Goodell, Bettman, Selig are like three shitty stooges compared to the troll masta

[HI-FI]

For the 2002 WCF and the MVPau heist, Staples Center needs to retire his yarmulke.

[baseline bum]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

Real Talk. If the NBA had a piece of shit like Selig running the show the Spurs would have never survived in San Antonio and would probably be in faggot ass Orange County.

[Rogue]

None of you non whites and blacks would be posting in this forum if it wasn't for stern...:lol
Agree, more than 50% posts of the NBA forum wouldn't have even existed in the first place tbh.

[Thebesteva]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

From the stand point of business he created an amazing product

From the stand point of ruining that very product decades later he was even more successful

[sook]

Good commish for the NBA, open your eyes people.

He was one shady mofo though.

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol like irishock said, have you guys taken a look at the other commissioners in pro sports?..

Gary Bettman and Selig are cowards, and Goodell's flaws are well-known..

What exactly do fans hate about Stern, btw?..

[Koolaid_Man]

None of you non whites and blacks would be posting in this forum if it wasn't for stern...:lol

and none of you whites would be worshipping blacks if not for Stern :toast

[Bynumite]

Still hasn't revealed where the bodies are buried tbh.

[Koolaid_Man]

:lol like irishock said, have you guys taken a look at the other commissioners in pro sports?..

Gary Bettman and Selig are cowards, and Goodell's flaws are well-known..

What exactly do fans hate about Stern, btw?..

you should especially appreciate Stern since he didn't go after Steroid users

[lefty]

And it isn't even close. Goodell, Bettman, Selig are like three shitty stooges compared to the troll masta
lol no Bettman is not as bad as Stern

[irishock]

lol no Bettman is not as bad as Stern

NHL on OLN.... son :lol

[Clipper Nation]

Stern is the greatest commish in sports history, tbh, not sure why so many ignorant NBA fans dislike him..

He's only the best by default because the other three are so shitty :lol

[Clipper Nation]

NHL on OLN.... son :lol

Plus the Coyotes, Kokusai Green, John Spano, John Rigas, Boots del Biaggio, etc. :lol

[ElNono]

:lol like irishock said, have you guys taken a look at the other commissioners in pro sports?..

Gary Bettman and Selig are cowards, and Goodell's flaws are well-known..

What exactly do fans hate about Stern, btw?..

I never liked his mafia-like dealings... the league basically run as a kingdom, everybody scared of the king.

Things like fining players for speaking truth bombs, what they have to wear, the apologizing post-game after a game-changing fuckup, basketball-reasons...

I think sometimes he lawyered it up too much. Business wise he was great, no doubt.

[HI-FI]

I never liked his mafia-like dealings... the league basically run as a kingdom, everybody scared of the king.

Things like fining players for speaking truth bombs, what they have to wear, the apologizing post-game after a game-changing fuckup, basketball-reasons...

I think sometimes he lawyered it up too much. Business wise he was great, no doubt.
pretty much. I think at best Stern is 50/50, but there's a lot of shady shit there. People always say "but but but the game was on tape delay before Stern took over". Yes, I'm sure Magic, Bird, MJ and the rise of cable, satellite and internet had nothing to do with the explosion of the game. Of course the game was on tape delay, channels and time were limited so naturally basketball would get the Soul Train treatment.

Under Stern you saw the sport blow up, but you also saw MJ protected from his gamblings, PEDs laughed at, numerous bailouts for the Lakers, plus officiating so bad that Tim Donaghy was making good money from the mob yet he still got a B+ with the league.

It's a very mixed grade personally. I think only Roger Goodell has made me appreciate Stern in hindsight.

btw, I actually thought the dress code was a great idea and necessary. You can't appeal to a white audience when blacks in the game were dressing like they walked out of Attica.

[ElNono]

btw, I actually thought the dress code was a great idea and necessary. You can't appeal to a white audience when blacks in the game were dressing like they walked out of Attica.

Completely stupid. Do people stop going to the zoo because the animals are not dressed properly? No. You know what kind of entertainment you're watching. The truth is he did that to clamp down on the bling, which, granted, was getting out of control (and he could've just banned that). But no, you gotta dress everybody like lawyers. Ridiculous. Nobody is buying that because Abaka wears a suit he didn't come from the jungles of Congo.

[HI-FI]

Completely stupid. Do people stop going to the zoo because the animals are not dressed properly? No. You know what kind of entertainment you're watching. The truth is he did that to clamp down on the bling, which, granted, was getting out of control (and he could've just banned that). But no, you gotta dress everybody like lawyers. Ridiculous. Nobody is buying that because Abaka wears a suit he didn't come from the jungles of Congo.
I would respect Abaka more if he had a set of spears in his locker during the postgame interviews.

We'll just have to agree to disagree, sort of like you thinking Manu's Finals performance was average. I think it was a smart move to class up the game. Now if Stern accidentally created the blipster movement, then yeah I guess it was a terrible idea in retrospect.

[ElNono]

I would respect Abaka more if he had a set of spears in his locker during the postgame interviews.

We'll just have to agree to disagree, sort of like you thinking Manu's Finals performance was average. I think it was a smart move to class up the game. Now if Stern accidentally created the blipster movement, then yeah I guess it was a terrible idea in retrospect.

That's fine. Ultimately, Twitter and co made it largely irrelevant, because now you get pictures of the players wearing whatever and he can't stop that, since there's money to be made there ($$$)

[whitemamba]

Good commish for the NBA, open your eyes people.

He was one shady mofo though.

yup, he really took the NBA to a new level when it came to making money. he was mad ******ish though, ran the league like a mafia though.

[Jacob1983]

Sacramento Kings say hi.

[Venti Quattro]

:lmao :lmao :lmao Cleveland vs New York game later

What a fuckin abortion for one of Stern's last offerings.

[RsxPiimp]

I'm going to miss Stern bullying NBA players. Silver has big shoes to fill.

[baseline bum]

:lol like irishock said, have you guys taken a look at the other commissioners in pro sports?..

Gary Bettman and Selig are cowards, and Goodell's flaws are well-known..

What exactly do fans hate about Stern, btw?..

The Fisher shot mostly.

[whitemamba]

The Fisher shot mostly.

What was wrong with it?

[baseline bum]

What was wrong with it?

:cry It wasn't waved off :cry

[Venti Quattro]

What was wrong with it?

His last decree before stepping down and setting up for retirement is to #boldwm imo tbh fwiw.

[Clipper Nation]

:lol like irishock said, have you guys taken a look at the other commissioners in pro sports?..

Gary Bettman and Selig are cowards, and Goodell's flaws are well-known..

What exactly do fans hate about Stern, btw?..
I wouldn't say Bettman is a coward, he is just completely incompetent at his job.... three lockouts under his watch says it all....

Selig is a piece of shit for how he screwed over the Expos....

[whitemamba]

His last decree before stepping down and setting up for retirement is to #boldwm imo tbh fwiw.

:lol

[jimbo]

Stern was amazing for the sport tbh. Not for certain teams, but for the sport as a whole--definitely.

1. Jordan's gambling suspension. Saved the league with this, created a legend with the folks who say "lol Jordan coulda 8peated!!"
2. Rigged series. Rigged lottos. Only made the game bigger tbh.
3. Not going after steroid users. I don't know how the hell Stern has managed to make the media think that people in the NBA aren't roiding/HGHing out. They're pro athletes :lol

[baseline bum]

Spurs fans are stupid for not loving Stern. Without Stern being a hardass in the 99 lockout Duncan would have been pulling the same kind of contract that absolutely crippled Minnesota with Garnett. Without the luxury tax the Spurs would have surely gotten priced out of their own free agents and never been able to keep Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili together. He has presided over a league where small markets like San Antonio, Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and Indiana had or have real shots at titles (though 2002 Game 6 was obviously a sham, but I blame that one Bavetta). With the way salaries were blowing up in the 90s (Ewing pulling $18 million per in late 90s dollars? :lol) I have serious doubts Peter Holt could have afforded to keep a title contender together without Stern. The one real blemish on his record was not hanging Bavetta by the balls for screwing the 02 Kings the same way he did the 98 Jazz (with the Eisley three pointer he waved off). But overall, he was great for the NBA, and I don't buy the hype that Magic, Bird, and Jordan get all the credit since every era has transcendent stars.

[lefty]

^
Lol bird, aids and dad killer saved Stern 's ass

[Rogue]

Comrade baselinebum speaks the golden truth imho. Stern offers equal chances to all teams of the league despite being big or small. There're just a few teams (like cavs) who will never find their way to the winning mode which, imho, is hardly the fault of Mr. Stern.

[Bynumite]

#StayStern

[DeadlyDynasty]

As others have stated, the Spurs exist and prosper only through the grace of the David Stern era.

[ElNono]

Spurs fans are stupid for not loving Stern. Without Stern being a hardass in the 99 lockout Duncan would have been pulling the same kind of contract that absolutely crippled Minnesota with Garnett. Without the luxury tax the Spurs would have surely gotten priced out of their own free agents and never been able to keep Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili together. He has presided over a league where small markets like San Antonio, Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and Indiana had or have real shots at titles (though 2002 Game 6 was obviously a sham, but I blame that one Bavetta). With the way salaries were blowing up in the 90s (Ewing pulling $18 million per in late 90s dollars? :lol) I have serious doubts Peter Holt could have afforded to keep a title contender together without Stern. The one real blemish on his record was not hanging Bavetta by the balls for screwing the 02 Kings the same way he did the 98 Jazz (with the Eisley three pointer he waved off). But overall, he was great for the NBA, and I don't buy the hype that Magic, Bird, and Jordan get all the credit since every era has transcendent stars.


As others have stated, the Spurs exist and prosper only through the grace of the David Stern era.

Like I said, on the business side, there's no reproach.

It's the "I know where the bodies are buried" stuff that's just disgusting, IMO.

[Jacob1983]

My Mavs winning in 2011 was probably the biggest fuck you by an NBA team to Stern in his entire reign. I love that. But he can still fuck off in my opinion.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Like I said, on the business side, there's no reproach.

It's the "I know where the bodies are buried" stuff that's just disgusting, IMO.

He's earned the right to take the 5th on that last part. The sport is thriving because of him. At the end of the day if your good deeds outweigh the bad ones you win. Besides, we've all done shitty things in our lives that we're not proud of.

[HI-FI]

Like I said, on the business side, there's no reproach.

It's the "I know where the bodies are buried" stuff that's just disgusting, IMO.
or the "I prefer a Lakers-Lakers final". I agree with Bill Simmons that it's a very complicated picture, lots of good and bad during his reign. Stern could almost get the Robert Caro treatment, well maybe not that detailed but more than just a simple "he's been great :tu " analysis.

[ElNono]

At the end of the day, you can't escape he was running primarily an entertainment business, so I have no problem stating he was great at his job. Nobody can take that away from him.

We'll see what Silver looks like, but I'm sure he'll have Stern on speed dial if the need arises.

[DeadlyDynasty]

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who lack perspective. Do any of you have any idea how horrible the NBA was from c. 1973-1983? It was about as relevant as the WNBA is now, with rampant coke addictions and countless other scandals. Furthermore, compare Stern to his contemporaries:

Selig: Pariah, forever responsible for Steroid era
Bettman: 3 lockouts, you can't even find NHL games on TV anymore
Tags/Goodell: Horrible rule changes and denial of NFL causing brain injuries

Stern has his fair share of skeletons, but his good FAR exceeds his bad--and the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, Bulls, Pistons, and Rockets (most of the fanbases here) have never experienced more relevance or success than under his tenure. Yeah he's a coniving, crafty jew, but that's just genetics.

Lemme preface this by saying it's a terrible, incongruous analogy--but this reminds me of faggot liberal college kids who argue that we shouldn't have dropped the bomb(s) on Japan--again, lack of perspective, people think that 2014 is just like 1945. In this case, people think 1983's NBA is just like today's NBA.

[DeadlyDynasty]

At the end of the day, you can't escape he was running primarily an entertainment business, so I have no problem stating he was great at his job. Nobody can take that away from him.

We'll see what Silver looks like, but I'm sure he'll have Stern on speed dial if the need arises.
Sport IS entertainment. It's a distraction from everyday life.

ESPN: Entertainment and Sports Programming Network

[Thebesteva]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGORslhhUzI

[Thread]

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who lack perspective. Do any of you have any idea how horrible the NBA was from c. 1973-1983? It was about as relevant as the WNBA is now, with rampant coke addictions and countless other scandals. Furthermore, compare Stern to his contemporaries:

Selig: Pariah, forever responsible for Steroid era
Bettman: 3 lockouts, you can't even find NHL games on TV anymore
Tags/Goodell: Horrible rule changes and denial of NFL causing brain injuries

Stern has his fair share of skeletons, but his good FAR exceeds his bad--and the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, Bulls, Pistons, and Rockets (most of the fanbases here) have never experienced more relevance or success than under his tenure. Yeah he's a coniving, crafty jew, but that's just genetics.

Lemme preface this by saying it's a terrible, incongruous analogy--but this reminds me of faggot liberal college kids who argue that we shouldn't have dropped the bomb(s) on Japan--again, lack of perspective, people think that 2014 is just like 1945. In this case, people think 1983's NBA is just like today's NBA.

Damn, Deads got up off the floor a couple days ago and he's been a house afire. He's covered the entire gamut, from 100 honkys Vs 4000 spear chuckers to a Super Jew, even to Fat Man & Little Boy.

Deads, in his Edmund O'Brien/"Dutton Peabody" renaissance.

Deads

[Killakobe81]

Great commish overall but:

1. The amare suspension was horseshit (i had no dog in that fight but that was bullshit)
2. The veto though he actually had good basketball reasons ... pretty much every variation of the Paul trade was shitty including the one they accepted.
3. The pussification of the league they over-reacted to the Malice at the Palace ...
4. Too many flagrant fouls
5. Inconsistent refs who favor the home team and star players even more than the old school ones did
6. The WNBA ...nuff said
7. No HD for League Pass while NFL ticket has had it for years ...
8. No ala carte options for LP ...
9. Lockouts
10. the MJ retirement cover up ... and ALl the conspiracy theories (frozen envelope, Lebron in cleveland and Rose in chicago)

He did however:

1. market the game successfully.
2. Hitched his wagon to the right stars; MJ, Bird, Magic, Lebron etc.
3. Eliminated the cocaine abusers of the 70's/80's
4. Built up NBATV
5. Partnership with TNT, ABC, ESPN
6. sold his stars as community first (NBA cares)
7. Destroyed the players in the new CBA and ...
8. did his best to protect dumb owners from their own mistakes ...i dont agree with new CBA but he "won" for the owners
9. Though nowhere on the level of the NFL in the US but you could argue world wide only EPL, and other top tier Soccer leagues are in better shape from a international appeal perspective.
10. change perception of league from negro leagues to a international melting pot.


stern has been one of the best commish in domestic sports but the NFL with their success you haveto give Rozelle and maybe even Goodell even more props ...

[Killakobe81]

Spurs fans are stupid for not loving Stern. Without Stern being a hardass in the 99 lockout Duncan would have been pulling the same kind of contract that absolutely crippled Minnesota with Garnett. Without the luxury tax the Spurs would have surely gotten priced out of their own free agents and never been able to keep Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili together. He has presided over a league where small markets like San Antonio, Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and Indiana had or have real shots at titles (though 2002 Game 6 was obviously a sham, but I blame that one Bavetta). With the way salaries were blowing up in the 90s (Ewing pulling $18 million per in late 90s dollars? :lol) I have serious doubts Peter Holt could have afforded to keep a title contender together without Stern. The one real blemish on his record was not hanging Bavetta by the balls for screwing the 02 Kings the same way he did the 98 Jazz (with the Eisley three pointer he waved off). But overall, he was great for the NBA, and I don't buy the hype that Magic, Bird, and Jordan get all the credit since every era has transcendent stars.

Baseline and Deadly with truth bombs ...

[irishock]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfVNl0LCIAEgtW2.jpg

[DMC]

The David Stern MVP Award goes to...

[Clipper Nation]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfVNl0LCIAEgtW2.jpg

Will the Thunderefs thank him for all the foodstamps? :lol

[Mugen]

I'm going to miss that Jew tbh.

[Joyrider]

I'm gonna miss the annual booing at the draft, tbh.

[Clipper Nation]

:lmao Methlahoma is loving those Stern foodstamps:

http://i.imgur.com/BGA44lH.png

[DMC]

:lmao Methlahoma is loving those Stern foodstamps:

http://i.imgur.com/BGA44lH.png

Hmm...

Oklahoma gave less approval than California.

[Rogue]

:lmao Methlahoma is loving those Stern foodstamps:

http://i.imgur.com/BGA44lH.png
Stern handed them an NBA fanchise, dude, and it also explains why Washington state gave him F. I think it's quite obvious on that map, isn't it?

[Venti Quattro]

Stern handed them an NBA fanchise, dude, and it also explains why Washington state gave him F. I think it's quite obvious on that map, isn't it?

:rollin :rollin

[Clipper Nation]

Stern handed them an NBA fanchise, dude, and it also explains why Washington state gave him F. I think it's quite obvious on that map, isn't it?
Well, their franchise itself is the biggest foodstamp of all, tbh :lol

[baseline bum]

CROFL bitter Seattle fans. Hope Peyton shits all over them just like my nigga Clay Bennett. Stern did the right thing letting that franchise leave all those ungrateful fucks.

[irishock]

Hope Peyton shits all over them

Absolutely.

[Horse]

I would give the credit to bird,magic and jordan. I know why Spurs fans hate him, but why in the world would lakers fans hate him? 2001 portland got screwed, 2002 it was the kings, 2004 it was the Spurs 0.4. They got gaysol for a bag of chips from former laker jerry west and we could go on and on and on.

[Venti Quattro]

I would give the credit to bird,magic and jordan. I know why Spurs fans hate him, but why in the world would lakers fans hate him? 2001 portland got screwed, 2002 it was the kings, 2004 it was the Spurs 0.4. They got gaysol for a bag of chips from former laker jerry west and we could go on and on and on.

Sup Horse? Still hanging out with your glazed donuts at Dunkin and using them as oil for your massage clients?

[sook]

Seattle is a great city.

Fuck the supersonics, they were an evil that had to be eradicated but Seattle does deserve another team.

[whitemamba]

Seattle is a great city.

Fuck the supersonics, they were an evil that had to be eradicated but Seattle does deserve another team.

:tu

[LakerHater]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfZvK83CQAAunNe.jpg

[lefty]

I would give the credit to bird,magic and jordan. I know why Spurs fans hate him, but why in the world would lakers fans hate him? 2001 portland got screwed, 2002 it was the kings, 2004 it was the Spurs 0.4. They got gaysol for a bag of chips from former laker jerry west and we could go on and on and on.
This tbh


lol at those saying he did a lot for the NBA :lmao

If anything, he destroyed it

[Thread]

I would give the credit to bird,magic and jordan. I know why Spurs fans hate him, but why in the world would lakers fans hate him? 2001 portland got screwed, 2002 it was the kings, 2004 it was the Spurs 0.4. They got gaysol for a bag of chips from former laker jerry west and we could go on and on and on.

The last thing Adelman told CWEBB outta that time out was not to leave Horry.

tee, hee.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The top 2 sports commissioners are both from the NFL. Rozelle because he convinced the federal government and Nixon to allow national TV broadcasts to avoid antitrust scrutiny. That was a transcendent mvoe for US sports. Tagliabue is 2 for bringing the salary cap into US sports which combined with what Rozelle accomplished created the top sport in the US by a significant margin.

I am not sold on Stern's 'success.' The guy wasn't a particularly powerful commissioner. About the only notable intervention he had in 30 years was the nix to Paul but that had more to do with 20+ owners making him do it. The various labor negotiations have been noted as clusterfucks with vying factions and infighting. They certainly were not notable by his control of the situation. The first one was a self admitted failure and the second one we will see but he ducked out of the consummation of that deal.

I suppose that he did see the NBA expand under his watch but how much of that was him or the transcendent talent that emerged soon after the merger? His expansions have not been marked by a whole lot of success. Miami I grant you but then you have charlotte moving to NO to be replaced again. Hardly good management.

His marketing of the NBA internationally has been tepid although that is true of all US sports. I just don't know what he did well. I even think that he mismanaged the NBA brand by promoting players before the team or the sport itself.

[DeadlyDynasty]

I just don't know what he did well. I even think that he mismanaged the NBA brand by promoting players before the team or the sport itself.
The star system is what works in the NBA, and what makes it a viable, unique product. You can't sell the casual observer on the mid 2000's Spurs or Pistons--they played great fundamental basketball but that is not marketable and worth the price of admission. If that's your selling point then you'd be better off just watching Duke play at the collegiate level. and don't give me this shit that "it's what sells because that's what Stern forced down our throats," bullshit. The 70's NBA sucked dick long and hard.

In no other major sport is the talent of an individual as vital to a team's success as basketball. There's less players on the court at one time than any other sport, so naturally any superior athletic talent is going to shine. It's part of the reason why deep down a lot of us didn't want LeBron to leave Cleveland--or wish he would go back or somewhere else--b/c I wanna see him drop 50-burgers every night instead of passing it up to scrubs. I can't fault him at all for trying to win, but now that he's done it I wanna see him score at will while he's still at his physical peak. It's part of the reason why mid-2000s Kobe was so fun to watch...any night you could witness a scoring binge like no other. That nigga bumped the NFL playoffs from the front page with one game--and that's what's awe-inspiring about NBA talent. Not 4-down and that boring bullshit they tried peddling in SA. Insane talent/athletic ability is what's worth the price of admission.

Stars saved the NBA, and props to Stern for fostering that.

[callo1]

A drunk monkey could have increased the revenue of the NBA. Stern getting all of this blind credit is a joke.

[baseline bum]

People aren't giving Stern enough credit for cleaning up the league when he entered. Everyone has all these fond memories of Bird, Magic, and Julius, but they ignore that the NBA game sucked for most of the first half of the 80s since half the league was on coke. You had stars like George Gervin and Michael Ray Richardson just falling off the face of the earth with their games. The Western Conference outside of LA was practically unwatchable, and no one was making any real money. The difference in the league between Larry O'Brien's tenure vs Stern's was just night and day. And then look at how it has been the opposite story with baseball when you compare Selig to his predecessors. In the 80s everyone used to watch baseball, everyone was excited about the World Series, but now most of the country thinks the shit's boring.

[Thread]

^The bumster:::Monday morning coming down.