David Stern, who transformed the National Basketball Association and championed the globalization of the sport in his 30 years as the league’s commissioner, died Wednesday. He was 77.
The cause was complications from a brain hemorrhage he suffered on Dec. 12, the league said in a news release.
The league’s longest-serving commissioner, Stern was as gruff as he was enormously influential when he was the most powerful man in basketball. He retired in 2014 and passed the NBA’s stewardship to his longtime deputy, Adam Silver, after overseeing a period of growth that turned the NBA into the international behemoth it is today.
“Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand, making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation,” Silver said.
