Q&A former NBA Commissioner David Stern and Don Sperling, former vice president and executive producer of NBA Entertainment
Sunday, Apr. 2 2017, 5:00
David Stern was the longest-tenured commissioner in the history of professional sports. He served in the job from 1984-2014. Stern is credited with growing the NBA into a market-savvy, TV-friendly juggernaut and showplace for charismatic superstars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. As the NBA's own online history stated in 2012, "Under Stern's guidance the NBA has enjoyed its period of greatest growth and taken basketball to the forefront of the global sports scene." Stern studied history at Rutgers University (graduating in 1963) and then received a law degree from Columbia University in 1966. His first job was with the firm Proskauer Rose, which represented the NBA. Stern hired on with the league as general counsel in 1978. Stern became the league's commissioner in 1984, the same year that Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley entered the league. Highlights of Stern's tenure included the growth of the league from 24 to 30 teams, the 1992 Olympic 'Dream Team' (in which NBA players first played in the Olympics), and the 1996 founding of the women's professional league known as the WNBA. Stern retired as commissioner in 2014 and was succeeded by his deputy and protege, Adam Silver. Stern was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.
In 2007, Don Sperling was named Vice President and Executive Producer of Giants Entertainment, the media, marketing, programming, production and events arm of the New York Football Giants. Don oversees all branding, marketing, television, radio, digital media, social media, publishing, creative services, events and the live game day stadium production and presentation. Don was formerly the President of D& L Media, a full service production, development, programming and consulting company. Sperling was Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of NBA Entertainment, NBA TV and NBA.com for fifteen years. He was responsible for the overall branding, development, programming, and creative direction. The NBA became the largest producer and broadcaster of sports programming and digital media with over 240 affiliates worldwide. Don created and developed NBA Inside Stuff, NBC’s extremely successful and long running weekly sports and entertainment show. Don also developed the NBA’s award-winning I Love This Game campaign, PSA's, and a wide array of film commercials.
