At best, David
Stern tolerated a racist owner.
At worst, David
Stern enabled, encouraged and emboldened a racist owner.
Either way, it’s
not good.
While the legacy
of David Stern is far from the most important aspect of the Donald Sterling
fiasco, it is still relevant. There were more than a few people who noticed
that the words “David” and “Stern” were not uttered Tuesday as new NBA
commissioner Adam Silver handed down the punishment. Silver didn’t say them.
Other NBA owners didn’t say them. NBA players didn’t say them.
There was some
concern when
Silver was named commissioner – mostly from those outside of the NBA
offices – that he was not up to the enormous task. That he was incapable of
following in the large shoes that the ubiquitous Stern had trampled opponents
in for three decades.
How quickly that
narrative changed.
Everyone that
followed the NBA knew Donald Sterling was a terrible person. He had been sued
multiple times. Elgin Baylor sued him. His tenants sued him. Star players never
wanted to stay and play for him. His depositions painted the picture of a man
with viewpoints that were out of place in today’s society.
The questions in
the aftermath of the TMZ story focused on the future. What will happen? How
will he be punished? Who will own the team?
What about the
questions focused on the past? How did Sterling remain in charge for so long? Why
are sports
always so slow to react?
Most pressing,
how the hell did Chris
Paul end up a Clipper? Remember, Stern didn’t merely allow Sterling to stay
in the league – he
gift-wrapped arguably the best point guard alive for Sterling while keeping
said player away from the Lakers.
Will we ever know
the full story about that? Do we even want to?
The current visibility
of Stern, or the lack thereof, reminds me of Paul Tagliabue, the NFL
commissioner from 1989 to 2006. When I read the damning League
of Denial, it was Tagliabue who stood as the one actively leading the NFL’s
campaign to squash the concussion stories.
One of the most
interesting parts of the whole book centered on Roger Goodell, shortly after
taking over, listening in the back of the room as Tagliabue’s men continued to
argue the earth was flat and concussions
were not a serious issue.
Goodell was,
according to one person in the room, silent and shaking his head, as if to
accept the problem was far bigger than he ever imagined. While Goodell’s
reaction to the concussion epidemic can be questioned, the league finally
admitted the problem under his watch. It took the NFL nearly 20 years after
post-concussion syndrome was first observed to actually admit it was a problem.
How often do you
hear Paul Tagliabue’s name in NFL circles?
Donald Sterling’s
transgressions ultimately do not rise to concussion levels – his words did not
end up with former athletes shooting themselves in the chest to preserve their
brains.
But that wasn’t
Stern’s only issue toward the end of his reign. Remember, it was Stern’s dress
code mandate that had many players and fans
crying racism. It was Stern who conspired
to pry the Sonics out of Seattle. It was Stern who was trying to get the
Kings out of Sacramento. It was Stern who led the league’s questioned takeover
of the New Orleans Hornets, which ended up with them winning the lottery and
drafting Anthony Davis, as part of the Chris Paul fiasco.
When David Stern
left office in February of this year during the All-Star Break, many wondered
why there
was such little fanfare. There was no grand farewell. There was no goodbye
speech. At the time, we believed this was of Stern’s choosing.
Is there any
doubt that, a mere two months later, the entire league had become fed up with
David Stern?
The type of
praise heaped upon Adam Silver this week never, ever happened for David Stern.
He believed he made the NBA. He didn’t. He happened to be in charge when Magic
and Larry showed up.
Who the hell
can’t make money or go global with Michael Jordan leading your brand?
The twilight of
Stern’s career felt like watching Jordan on the Wizards. He was older and
slower but believed he wasn’t. The writing was on the wall.
But while Jordan
lingered for only two years, Stern lingered for five to ten years past due.
Long enough that he oversaw the Sonics fiasco, the Kings fiasco, the Chris Paul
fiasco and the beginning of the Donald Sterling fiasco.
Adam Silver was
put in an impossible situation and he succeeded. He united a league in 90 days in
a way David Stern did not in 30 years.
Donald Sterling
is the first mess left by David Stern that Adam Silver had to clean up. It is
almost certainly not the last.
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