Kori Ellis
10-25-2005, 12:22 PM
Granik ending 30-year tenure with league office
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2203223
NEW YORK -- Russ Granik announced Tuesday that he'll be stepping down as deputy commissioner of the NBA at the end of the upcoming season, bringing an end to his 30-year tenure at the league office.
Granik was the lead negotiator for the NBA in the past four collective-bargaining talks and represented the league in a wide range of projects, including numerous television deals and the formation of the Dream Team that represented the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Generally viewed as commissioner David Stern's right-hand man, Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney three years after completing Harvard Law School. He has been deputy commissioner for the past 15 years, often playing the role of bad cop to Stern's good cop when the league decided to take a public posture during labor talks.
Granik's departure will fuel speculation inside the league office that NBA Entertainment president Adam Silver has become the most likely successor to Stern whenever the commissioner decides to retire. Stern told ESPN.com last week that he has no plans whatsoever to step down from the job he has held since 1984.
"I love it, so they can't give my job anytime soon. No chance," Stern said of Granik and Silver.
Granik, 57, was president of USA Basketball from 1996-2000 after spending seven years as a vice president for the organization that governs the United States' participation in international basketball. He was instrumental in working out the details of the transition to NBA players participating in the Olympics beginning in 1992.
Granik graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth in 1969, with a down-to-earth manner and self-deprecating sense of humor that often made him the perfect foil for the more serious and bombastic Stern.
After Allen Iverson was presented with the Rookie of the Year award in 1997, Granik called the Philadelphia 76ers to express concern that Iverson was wearing a skullcap when he was photographed accepting his trophy. Pat Croce, then president of the Sixers, assuaged Granik's concerns that the skullcap might have some link to prison gangs. Croce even sent Granik a skullcap, and the remorseful deputy commissioner wore it around the office as an act of contrition.
After this season, Granik will serve as a senior advisor to the commissioner. He will continue to be the league's principal representative with USA Basketball and chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Granik's decision was announced at the opening of the annual two-day meeting of the league's Board of Governors, who are expected to vote on a successor to Jerry Colangelo as chairman.
"Russ and I have worked together on a daily basis for 29 years, and everyone in the NBA family is well aware of the enormity of his contributions to the success and growth of the league during that time. For over two decades, Russ has been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the league," Stern said in a news release. "Russ discussed with me his desire to step down as deputy commissioner once our collective bargaining negotiations were concluded, but I persuaded him to stay on for an additional season. He will be functioning as usual for the next eight months, but we agreed that it was appropriate to let the Board of Governors know his plans as far in advance as possible."
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2203223
NEW YORK -- Russ Granik announced Tuesday that he'll be stepping down as deputy commissioner of the NBA at the end of the upcoming season, bringing an end to his 30-year tenure at the league office.
Granik was the lead negotiator for the NBA in the past four collective-bargaining talks and represented the league in a wide range of projects, including numerous television deals and the formation of the Dream Team that represented the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Generally viewed as commissioner David Stern's right-hand man, Granik joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney three years after completing Harvard Law School. He has been deputy commissioner for the past 15 years, often playing the role of bad cop to Stern's good cop when the league decided to take a public posture during labor talks.
Granik's departure will fuel speculation inside the league office that NBA Entertainment president Adam Silver has become the most likely successor to Stern whenever the commissioner decides to retire. Stern told ESPN.com last week that he has no plans whatsoever to step down from the job he has held since 1984.
"I love it, so they can't give my job anytime soon. No chance," Stern said of Granik and Silver.
Granik, 57, was president of USA Basketball from 1996-2000 after spending seven years as a vice president for the organization that governs the United States' participation in international basketball. He was instrumental in working out the details of the transition to NBA players participating in the Olympics beginning in 1992.
Granik graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth in 1969, with a down-to-earth manner and self-deprecating sense of humor that often made him the perfect foil for the more serious and bombastic Stern.
After Allen Iverson was presented with the Rookie of the Year award in 1997, Granik called the Philadelphia 76ers to express concern that Iverson was wearing a skullcap when he was photographed accepting his trophy. Pat Croce, then president of the Sixers, assuaged Granik's concerns that the skullcap might have some link to prison gangs. Croce even sent Granik a skullcap, and the remorseful deputy commissioner wore it around the office as an act of contrition.
After this season, Granik will serve as a senior advisor to the commissioner. He will continue to be the league's principal representative with USA Basketball and chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Granik's decision was announced at the opening of the annual two-day meeting of the league's Board of Governors, who are expected to vote on a successor to Jerry Colangelo as chairman.
"Russ and I have worked together on a daily basis for 29 years, and everyone in the NBA family is well aware of the enormity of his contributions to the success and growth of the league during that time. For over two decades, Russ has been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the league," Stern said in a news release. "Russ discussed with me his desire to step down as deputy commissioner once our collective bargaining negotiations were concluded, but I persuaded him to stay on for an additional season. He will be functioning as usual for the next eight months, but we agreed that it was appropriate to let the Board of Governors know his plans as far in advance as possible."