NBA players and referees will wear a commemorative black band on their uniforms for the rest of the season to honor former commissioner David Stern, the league announced Friday.
Stern, an innovator who transformed the league into a global brand in his three decades as commissioner, died Wednesday at the age of 77, three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads,” comissioner Adam Silver said on Wednesday. “But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. 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.”
During Stern’s tenure, the NBA became one of the most popular leagues in the world and increased television revenue from $10 million per year to approximately $900 million per year.