David Stern Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: David Stern’s Performance As Commissioner

October 26th, 2012 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When it was announced yesterday that David Stern would be retiring as NBA commissioner on February 1st, 2014, reactions and retrospectives immediately started pouring in. Many pundits praised Stern for the work he's done over the last three decades to grow the NBA globally, and plenty of players and executives around the league echoed those thoughts.

Not everyone was complimentary of Stern's tenure as NBA commissioner, however. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports wrote that the longtime commish used intimidation and manipulation to get his way for years, and that his last 15 months on the job will be spent "promoting the myth of David Stern." Grantland's Zach Lowe also points to four lockouts and a string of unpopular decisions, including last year's veto of the Lakers' trade for Chris Paul, as blemishes on Stern's legacy.

How do you feel about Stern's 28+ years as NBA commissioner? Weigh in on the poll below with the grade you'd assign Stern for the job he's done at the head of the Association since 1984.

David Stern Hoping To Return NBA To Seattle

October 26th, 2012 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of yesterday's announcement that David Stern will be stepping down as NBA commissioner in February 2014, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has penned a less than flattering retrospective on Stern's "three decades of totalitarian rule."

In addition to looking back on the tenure of the longtime commissioner, Wojnarowski's piece also includes a handful of interesting nuggets related to Sacramento and Seattle. According to the Yahoo! scribe, Stern is "determined" to return the NBA to Seattle in his last 15 months on the job. Wojnarowski also hears that pressure on the Maloofs from the league office to sell the Kings has been "growing."

The city of Seattle's quest to return an NBA franchise to the area has been well documented, with the Seattle City Council and King County Council approving the arena proposal put forth by Chris Hansen earlier this month. Stern said yesterday that he "wouldn't preclude" the possibility of expanding the league beyond 30 teams, but it's more likely that one of the league's current franchises would have to move to give Seattle a chance at a team.

Given their inability to date to secure a new arena, the Kings have long been considered the most logical candidate to relocate to another city. On a teleconference with reporters yesterday, Stern didn't commit too strongly to the team's future in Sacramento, simply encouraging the city to continue supporting the Kings and then hoping for the best.

Stern On Profits, Silver, Expansion, Kings

October 25th, 2012 at 5:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Earlier this afternoon, we passed along reports that David Stern had set an official date for his retirement. There were several other topics that the NBA Commissioner spoke on during a teleconference today, and here are some of the highlights (mostly in the form of Twitter links):

The league is doing very well financially, as Stern specifically mentioned that an 86% renewal of last year's season ticketholder subscriptions as well as record sponsorships are among the significant sources of profit.
Between now and April, the NBA's Board of Governors will work on the terms of Adam Silver's agreement to become the next commissioner.
Stern used the words "extreme importance" to describe his focus on continued international expansion. It should be noted that the league recently opened offices in Brazil and Mumbai.
He urged the city of Sacramento to continue their support of the Kings and then hope for the best. Stern had separately stated that a new arena would be needed in order for the team to remain in Sacramento for the long-term. He also mentions that the league owners will discuss whether or not expanding the association beyond 30 teams should be considered, which could present a scenario in which Seattle would not have to purchase the Kings in order to own an NBA franchise (according to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee).
Stern denied any involvement in preventing Stan Van Gundy from becoming an analyst for ESPN.
He endorsed the system used to facilitate the Dwight Howard trade, calling it a "pretty good system."
The number of years for contracts signed by free agents has been decreasing, which the Board believes will improve competition.
The Grizzlies are expected to yield "much improved financial results" under their new ownership.

Stern To Step Down As Commissioner In 2014

October 25th, 2012 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

12:41pm: Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who will be replaced as Chairman of the Board of Governors by Spurs owner Peter Holt, confirmed at a press conference that Stern will be retiring in February of 2014.

12:29pm: David Stern will step down as NBA commissioner on February 1st, 2014, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Stern will be replaced by current deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who was approved unanimously by the NBA's Board of Governors, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Ken Berger of CBS Sports first reported that the timeline for Stern's retirement was discussed extensively at this week's Board of Governors meetings. As Stein notes, Stern has been in his current role since February 1st, 1984, meaning his tenure as NBA commissioner will last exactly 30 years.

David Stern

Stern Not Looking To Expand NBA To Europe

October 15th, 2012 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for the Boston Globe, Gary Washburn examined commissioner David Stern's desire to expand the NBA to Europe. According to Washburn, at one point, Stern was considering adding a team called the London Abbeys to the Association. However, in recent years, the commissioner has backed off the idea of expanding the league to Europe, in part because there aren't enough NBA-ready facilities in place.

"I don’t think having a single team in Europe is practical," Stern said last week in Milan. "I never have. What I’ve said is if we’re going to have an NBA presence here in terms of the league, it should be five teams. It’s safe to say that there aren’t enough buildings, there aren’t adequate TV arrangements, we don’t have owners, and I’m not sure we could charge the prices that would be necessary. I don’t think our fans are that avid yet."

Most of the basketball venues in Europe aren't large enough to generate the revenue that would be required to maintain NBA franchises overseas. Stern acknowledged that there are arenas in London and Berlin that likely could house teams, but besides a proposed Paris arena, there are no additional venues in the works for the near future.

"In one of my recent visits here," Stern said. "There was a discussion about both an arena in Rome that construction ceased upon, and the possibility that there would be a new arena in Milano in connection with the world expo, but that’s not happening, either. So right now, it’s the same two buildings, with the prospect of construction in France that will start in 2014. So, realistically, there is no short-term way that we could, I think, profitably consider that."

The NBA will continue scheduling preseason exhibition games and the occasional regular season contest overseas, but it appears that Stern has no interest in making a commitment beyond that. According to Washburn, "the NBA’s flirtation with Europe appears done" for now.

David Stern

Odds & Ends: Van Gundy, Magic, Valanciunas

October 10th, 2012 at 10:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is upset that ESPN is denying that they had an agreement for him to join the network's broadcasting team this year, he told Dan LeBatard on 790 The Ticket radio in Miami, as Jason McIntyre of Big Lead Sports observes. Van Gundy claims ESPN pulled the offer, and sources told McIntyre that the network did so at the behest of commissioner David Stern, with whom Van Gundy has feuded in the past. Van Gundy's shadow, not to mention Dwight Howard's, still looms over Orlando, and there's more on the Magic and news from around the league on a six-game preseason night.

The relationship between new coach Jacque Vaughn and Jameer Nelson, who had wanted Van Gundy to remain, will be critical for the Magic this season, opines Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
A scout watching Raptors rookie big man Jonas Valanciunas described him as "soft" and "scared" to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
Either Iman Shumpert, when he returns from injury, or Ronnie Brewer will start at shooting guard for the Knicks this season, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone (Sulia link).
Suns executive Lon Babby assembled a team full of guys with much to prove, writes Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic (via USAToday.com).
Though he was taken 27th overall, Sixers rookie Arnett Moultrie would do well to emulate the rookie season of Lavoy Allen, the 50th pick in 2011, as he tries to crack a well-stocked frontcourt in Philadelphia, writes John Finger of CSNPhilly.com.

Southwest Rumors: Powell, De Colo, Machado

October 7th, 2012 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks were the first Southwest Division team to begin preseason play, doing so overseas yesterday with an 89-84 win over Alba Berlin in Dirk Nowitzki's native Germany. Before the game, commissioner David Stern said the league's revamped competition committee was cool to his idea of adopting the FIBA more liberal goaltending rules, noted Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Stern has pushed for changes to the way basket interference is called, so it's interesting to note that the commissioner apparently didn't get his way despite a new competition committee that some believe was restructured to give Stern more influence. Here's the latest from around the Southwest Division:

It's still a long way until the Spurs have to make a decision, but Josh Powell appears to have an early lead on Eddy Curry and Derrick Brown for a spot on the regular season roster, according to Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News. The competition was thinned a bit Friday when the Spurs waived Sherron Collins, taking their camp roster down to 19 players.
In the same piece, McCarney cautions readers not to get too caught up in what they saw from rookie Nando De Colo in the Spurs' victory Saturday over Italian club Montepaschi Siena, a slick passing performance that prompted teammate Stephen Jackson to call him "another Manu Ginobili."
Jason Friedman of Rockets.com shares some observations from Rockets camp, and says rookie guard Scott Machado, with the team on a minimum-salary deal that's partially guaranteed for $237K, is making a strong impression.
Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune chronicles the unlikely journey of Anthony Davis from a 5'9" eighth-grader in Chicago to the 6'10" Olympic gold medalist and No. 1 overall pick he is today, as he embarks on his first training camp with the Hornets.

David Stern Talks Olympics, Howard, Fegan

July 27th, 2012 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

The opening ceremy for the 2012 London Olympics is set to happen later today, but the basketball world still has one eye looking ahead to the 2016 games. NBA commissioner David Stern has talked about instituting a 23-and-under rule starting in 2016, and Team USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has said the sooner he knows the rule, the better. Stern discussed that topic and others in an interview with Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, so let's round up the highlights….

Stern is in no rush to reach a resolution on the participation issue for the 2016 Olympics, as he told Zillgitt: "This is not an urgent issue. This is just an opportunity to have an intelligent conversation with our friends at FIBA."
Added Stern: "Nothing is definitive. All we're talking about is the issue, having taken stock 20 years after Barcelona. What is the best way to continue the growth of the game on a global basis?"
Stern was also asked about the ongoing Dwight Howard saga, and took the opportunity to chide the man he believes is the source of many of the latest leaks: Howard's agent Dan Fegan. "It's [a] very unique [situation], especially if it's driven by a quote source that happens to be Dwight's agent," Stern said. "'A source in the meeting.' Oh, OK, who might that be?" It's hard to argue on that point, considering many reports of the meeting between the two sides criticized the Magic for being unprepared, something the team certainly wouldn't leak itself.
As for the Howard situation itself though, Stern told Zillgitt that he didn't have a problem with how it was playing out: "To me, it is the soap opera our fans turn in for — the drama on the court and the drama off the court. When we cease to have a story popping up, we probably won't exist…. That's the way it has been in baseball and the NFL and hockey and basketball. And frankly, it engages our fans, it engages our reporters, it engages our bloggers. It makes people happy, mad, sad. It's just the life in sports."

Stern On Olympics, Rule Changes, Bird Rights

May 31st, 2012 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver spoke Wednesday about a number of on- and off-court issues, including the Summer Olympics, potential rule changes, and the upcoming hearing on Bird rights and waiver claims (link via ESPN.com). Let's round up a few of the highlights from Stern and Silver….

Odds & Ends: Hornets, Jazz, Mavs, Jeff Van Gundy

May 30th, 2012 at 10:43pm CST by Daniel Seco

The NBA draft lottery brought good fortune to the Hornets organization, robbed the Bobcats of a chance to quickly advance in the rebuilding process and saw teams like the Nets and the Jazz miss out on securing lottery picks. The Cavs will have to use the fourth pick in the draft to build around Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson and the Warriors should simply be happy they were able to keep their spot at seventh. Beyond the Hornets, count the Trail Blazers as the second biggest winner Wednesday night as Portland will make two selections among the first 11 picks.

As the talking heads put together their latest mock drafts, let's take a look around the NBA to catch up on the the news and rumors making headlines as Hurricanes and Hand Grenades flow freely on Bourbon St…