NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 17: David Stern attends Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2019 Gala – The Birth of Jazz: From Bolden to Armstrong at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 17, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Jazz At Lincoln Center)The NBA announced this afternoon that former league commissioner David Stern has passed away. The longtime NBA commissioner was hospitalized in December due to a brain hemorrhage.
Stern was 77 years old.
On December 17, the league announced Stern had not recovered following emergency surgery. Just two weeks later, he passed away.
“NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern passed away this afternoon as a result of the brain hemorrhage he suffered approximately three weeks ago. His wife, Dianne, and their family were with him at his bedside,” the NBA said in a statement.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement following Stern’s passing.
“For 22 years, I had a court side seat to watch David in action,” Silver said.
“He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us…Our deepest condolences go out to David’s wife, Dianne, their sons, Andrew and Eric, and their extended family and we share out grief with everyone whose life was touched by him.”
NBA announces that David Stern has passed. pic.twitter.com/7v5x0rEpJ9
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) January 1, 2020
Stern was the NBA’s commissioner from 1984 to 2014. He led a player-centric league that morphed into the modern NBA.
Our thoughts are with the Stern family during this difficult time.
