David Stern: podcast appearances and interviews

David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who served as the commissioner of the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 2014. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of NBA basketball into one of the world's most popular sports and expanded the league's global reach through initiatives such as international training camps, exhibition games, and recruiting international players. Under his leadership, the NBA established offices in multiple countries and broadcast in over 40 languages across more than 200 territories. Stern also played a key role in founding the Women's National Basketball Association and the NBA G League, the league’s development league. In addition, he facilitated the NBA’s digital expansion through platforms such as NBA.com, NBA TV, and NBA League Pass, and established the NBA Cares social responsibility program. Stern's career in the NBA began in 1966 as an outside counsel; he later served as general counsel and then as executive vice president before being appointed commissioner. He retired in 2014 after more than three decades in the role, the longest tenure of any commissioner in major North American sports leagues at that time. His contributions to basketball earned him induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame. Outside of his work with the NBA, Stern was involved in educational and cultural organizations, serving on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers, being a Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and holding positions at Columbia University and the Council on Foreign Relations.