“He Knows… How to Manipulate the Situation”: Ex-NBA Star Explains How Adam Silver Grew in the Shade of ‘Bad Guy’ David Stern

The late David Stern, the former commissioner of the NBA, meant serious business. He turned the league into a global force, marketing not just the game but the faces of the league equally. From introducing dress codes to signing broadcasting rights on NBC, Stern had his fair share of praises and criticisms that have undoubtedly been experienced by Adam Silver today. But has Silver been different in running the league, bringing it out of Stern’s shade? Ex-Oklahoma City Thunder’s Sebastian Telfair has some comments. 

“He kind of knows how to manipulate the situation. I don’t mean that in a negative way; he kind of knows what not to do and what to do. He kind of knows people’s cries… the NBA in general, is doing a lot better,” said Sebastian Telfair in an interview with VladTV. The former point guard says Silver’s advantage of better understanding the way to run things comes from working by Stern’s side and watching him be the ‘bad guy’. 

Adam Silver worked under Stern for about two decades in various roles before he succeded him in 2014. He became a chief operating officer and deputy commissioner under the latter, coming to be involved in major decisions, to even calling him his mentor and appreciating his efforts.

The NBA was at a crossroads when Stern assumed the most important role in the league. He naturally had to make difficult decisions with branding — a major aspect for him — at the center. Some of them weren’t well received like Telfair points out regarding the dress code. ‘Lame,’ he calls it, further adding, “you are going to work, you should put some clothes on. But telling the dude how to dress, like, you can’t do that.” While Telfair mentions that Stern wasn’t the best of the commissioners, he also ensures to point out that, that is his view alone.

Charles Barkley,  Jerry Colangelo, Miami Heat’s Micky Arison, and numerous more have been of praise and admiration for David Stern. Even Silver himself commended him for ushering in the modern NBA and making it the global brand it is today. When he was taking over, Silver was believed to be undeniably different, softer, and inclusive of numerous opinions. Adrian Wojnarowski had later explained, “I think Adam navigates all that [managing owners and connecting with players] much better.” 

Adam Silver’s NBA

Adam Silver has naturally been on the receiving end of both criticisms and appreciation. While his decisions with lifetime ban on Clippers owner Donald Sterling, his stern stance on ‘players under bets,’ and new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which imposes stricter spending limits and introduces luxury taxes, ensuring that talent is distributed, have placed him on the good side, he has also been accused of making the game softer.

Numerous veterans have expressed that the league doesn’t have the physicality it used to have due to the recent rules. Rashad McCants called Silver “flimsy” and opined that he has led the league in the wrong direction in terms of sensitivity. But more recently, Silver has been on the stage for something much bigger and it is not off setting.

The NBA is currently undergoing its biggest media rights negotiations valued at multi-billion dollars. The league is projected to look at a fee nearly triple the amount of previous contracts — an estimated $76 billion over 11 years. “Growing the sport will involve more than getting a high rights fee. It’ll have a lot to do with how the game of basketball is presented to our fans globally,” Silver iterated. NBC, Amazon, and ESPN-ABC, who are the top contenders are in 4th quarter of the negotiations and the league is expected to draw in $6 billion on an average. This could be a huge win for the league who has its top names aging out.

While there can be no definative answer to who assumed the commisioner’s role better, the popular belief, much in line with that of Sebastian Telfair, attests that Stern set up the foundation and Silver is building onto it exceptionally.  

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