It is official. Adam Silver has taken over as NBA commissioner. With some big shoes to fill, will he survive? Only time will tell.
Silver is now the fifth commissioner of the NBA. He has succeeded David Stern, who was in reign for 30 booming years, give or take a controversy or ten. According to NBA.com, Silver left the legal field to join the league as a special assistant to Stern, where he then took over the position of deputy commissioner in 2006. Despite his biggest critics, Stern has proven himself time and again. In Stern’s reign, he effectively entered seven new teams into the league (Raptors, Bobcats, Grizzlies, Magic, Hornets, Timberwolves and Heat) and, not to mention, he essentially saved the league from bankruptcy in the 1970s, a hard-fought battle I think many would agree upon.
However, it is no doubt that Silver, who entered the NBA in 1992, can relate better to this modern day NBA basketball, possibly bringing it to new heights with a bright future ahead. Silver has been at the front of many decisions made in the past few years, so this transition from deputy commissioner to commissioner should be handled with ease.
So, what does this mean for the NBA?
David Stern is leaving the league in great shape for the new heir. This does not mean Silver can kick back and drink margaritas while watching the Heat in South Beach. Owners and players are fairly happy and ratings have gone up significantly. The new commissioner needs to maintain the quality of work and play that Stern put into the league, which is a challenge on its own.
Of course, changes will be introduced. Old traditions may not work with the modern system. Some may be happy with them, some may not. And, although the pressures were different decades ago, Silver definitely has his hands full. Where Stern’s challenge was saving the league from going under, Silver’s challenge lies more in the question, how does one make an already successful market more successful?
Can Silver turn the NBA gold? We will have to wait and see
