January 01

David Stern was born in 1942 in New York City and graduated from Columbia Law School before joining the NBA as general counsel in 1966. He became the league's commissioner in 1984 and led it for 30 years, overseeing expansion from 23 to 30 teams and facilitating the global growth of basketball. Under his tenure, the NBA signed landmark television deals, introduced the Dress Code policy, and capitalized on the popularity of stars like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Stern also implemented significant social responsibility programs and launched the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). His leadership helped increase the league's revenues by more than 800 percent. Stern stepped down in 2014 and remained a respected adviser until his death on January 1, 2020. His vision and innovations continue to shape professional basketball worldwide.