David Stern, RIP


Welcome to the second edition of The International Basketball Opinion, the world’s newest and only blog specifically dedicated to international basketball current events and news.

As you most certainly have heard/read by now, former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away January 1 due to a brain hemorrhage he suffered on December 12 in New York City.

Stern, one of the all-time great leaders and movers-and-shakers in professional sports, is widely credited with saving the NBA from obsolescence in the 1980’s and making both the sport of basketball and the American league global powers.

Below I share with you two well-written and informative articles by The Undefeated and ESPN on Stern, his and the NBA’s rise to power, his ambitious moves, and well-documented controversies. Enjoy!

Remembering David Stern’s power moves

https://theundefeated.com/features/remembering-david-stern-power-moves/

NBA commissioner David Stern was a complete force of nature

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28297623/nba-commissioner-david-stern-was-complete-force-nature

And for fun, here is an interesting look at the 1985 NBA Draft lottery and the controversy that still surrounds it and Patrick Ewing’s “placement” in New York. Bent corner? Frozen envelope?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYb84lcDXyY

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The international Basketball Opinion is the first blog of its kind, focused exclusively on the international basketball scene. Its author, Alan Walls, is an American basketball coach and administrator with over 25 years of experience on the youth, high school, NCAA, professional and national team levels in 15 countries and on all five continents.  Walls has worked with the national federations of Turkey, Romania, Palestine, Mongolia and El Salvador as well as coached or conducted camps and clinics throughout the United States – including his native Hawaii – Mexico, Argentina, China, Hong Kong, Kenya and Israel. Walls is the founder and General Secretary of the United Nations of Basketball (2020 launch).

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