This article reflects on the impact David Stern made on the NBA and the Sacramento Kings.
When the new year came upon us, some sad news hit the NBA world. The former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away due to a brain hemorrhage. The man lived for 77 years.
With the news out of Stern’s passing, many people in the NBA community, including the Sacramento Kings, sent their condolences.
Stern’s Tenure As The Commissioner
The impact Stern made towards the NBA will be remembered. It started in 1984 when he took over as the new NBA commissioner once Larry O’Brien stepped down. During his tenure as the commissioner, Stern was a witness to two lockouts in the years 1998 and 2011. He also was a spectator to NBA stars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and more.
Stern also advocated for star players to play in the Olympics which allowed the Dream Team to take form. Once 2014 came along, he stepped down from the job. During his tenure, Stern made the NBA more global and mobile than anyone could have imagined it to be.
Why Stern Was Important To Sacramento
David Stern will always be remembered by the fans of Sacramento. During the relocation saga, fans had to endure multiple attempts of their team moving out of their city. The first attempt was Anaheim in which Stern persuaded the owners to block the move. Later on, it seemed as if the Kings were moving to Seattle to become the Sonics, but yet again, Stern blocked the move and insisted that the Kings were to be bought by Vivek Ranadive instead.
After saving the Kings multiple times from leaving Sacramento, the organization honored Stern by naming the street of the Golden 1 Center after him.
Overall Thoughts
Stern played a huge part in how the NBA is today, which is being one of the most entertaining sports leagues around the globe. In regards to the Kings, I believe Stern thought it would have been a mistake to relocate the Kings. He believed that the fans of Sacramento were a part of the NBA and he could not envision the league with them due to their tight-knit community.
David Stern will be missed by the whole basketball world for how he revolutionized the NBA.