The 2013 NBA Draft a couple of weeks ago was one of the final events during which NBA commissioner David Stern presided.
On Oct. 25, 2012, Stern announced that he would step down Feb. 1, 2014, 30 years to the day after succeeding Larry O'Brien in 1984.
Stern would have made Vince McMahon proud at the draft. As boos rained down on him, the commissioner just soaked it all in, pausing before he spoke. Those familiar with pro wrestling know this technique is a staple of that entertainment. The fans rain boos, cheers or chants, and the wrestlers pause to let the fans make their voices heard.
The commissioner has become an artist at letting fans have their moment. He joked that they had to let the international audience know that booing was a sign of endearment in this country.
The highlight of the night was at the end of the draft's first round. Stern turned over the task of announcing picks to Adam Silver, the man who will replace him. The fans started to cheer Stern and boo Silver—a move straight-out of the WWE playbook.
Few commissioners have done more for their league than Stern has done for the NBA. Under Stern, and with the help the sport's biggest stars, the NBA has grown leaps and bounds. In this country, the NBA is second only to the NFL, and globally, the NBA ranks second only to soccer—the world's most popular sport.
Stern has had hits and misses during his time. The league started tougher drug testing, put salary caps and revenue sharing into place and began the WNBA. But here's what might be Stern's lasting legacy: In 2005, Stern instituted a dress code to combat the negative image of "Malice at the Palace," a brawl between fans and members of the Indiana Pacers. Now NBA players must wear business or other conservative clothing at team functions or when arriving and leaving a game.
The dress code has changed NBA players' style. When I was growing up, everyone wanted to be "like Mike" (Michael Jordan). We wanted to play basketball like Jordan and wear snappy suits.
These days, kids want to be like LeBron James or Kevin Durant. These young NBA players have taken the dress code to a new level without violating it. NBA fashion watching has become as important as the games themselves.
Check out SportsCenter or Twitter. People talk about how players dress as they arrive and what they wear to press conferences, chattering about everything from Russell Westbrook wearing lens-less "Sally Jessie Raphael" glasses to Durant's backpacks to Dwyane Wade's Capri pants.
The NBA being fashion forward began with Stern.
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