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In his first season as commissioner in 1985, David Stern visits the White House with the Lakers.
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Stern presents Michael Jordan with the 1991-92 MVP award in Chicago, MJ's third of five.
Henny Ray Abrams/AFP
In 1998, Stern announces all November games would be canceled. Play wouldn't resume until Feb. 5.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE
The Lakers, here in 2001, have won six titles with Stern in office, tied for the most in that span.
Chip Somodevilla/Gwtty
Stern testifies on Capitol Hill in 2005 about steroid use in professional sports.
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The partnership with Haier in 2006 increased the NBA's presence globally, especially in China.
Kent Smith//NBAE
On Sunday, Stern will celebrate his 25th anniversary as commissioner, the longest tenure in the NBA.
When Cleveland is healthy, it is much improved over a year ago with Mo Williams and Delonte West in the backcourt. These two give the Cavs the best backcourt defense they've had in a while, plus the ability to maximize shot attempts and score points. They are both excellent field goal shooters, excellent 3-point shooters and outstanding at the free throw line, both at well over 80 percent.
Their improved backcourt also relieves LeBron James from handling the ball so much. This is major. He can now get upcourt faster and doesn't have to bring the ball up against defenders as often and basically go one against five. They're running nice continuities from the top of the circle down, and LeBron can rest at times within the offense because of Williams' and West's ability to handle the ball, beat you off the dribble and make things happen for everybody else.
Sunday's NBA Schedule
• T-Wolves at Celtics, noon ET
• Magic at Raptors, noon ET
• Cavaliers at Pistons, 2:30 ET, ABC
• Thunder at Kings, 3 ET
Now, unfortunately, the team hasn't been completely healthy of late. But you've got to give the Cavs a lot of credit. They just had a great West Coast trip (3-1) without Zydrunas Ilgauskas and West. Cleveland is leading the league (as of Friday afternoon) in point differential at more than 10 per game. And that is always the best indicator of what's going to happen at playoff time.
Anderson Varejao has had great numbers in Ilgauskas' absence, and the experience he has gained will be valuable the rest of the way. And it's the same way with Sasha Pavlovic. So now you have two guys on the second unit who are in a much better position to help than a year ago. Along with Daniel Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak they have an excellent nine-man rotation, and actually, with J.J. Hickson it's really a 10-man rotation.
Ultimately though, while things look bright for the Cavaliers' franchise right now, a long-term run in the East is no guarantee. With free agency and a lack of loyalty in the game today, things can change in a heartbeat. So for them to replicate the success the Detroit Pistons had a few years back in the East that included back-to-back trips to the Finals, they'll need some breaks.
The Pistons' run of threatening for the Eastern Conference crown could be ending. The loss of Chauncey Billups might see to that. He was not only a leader but also a guy who could make big shots out of the half-court offense who does not need a large volume of shots to get 20 points in a big game. He ran the offense and they had excellent continuity of screens and movement when he was on the court. Their play would emphasize him and Rip Hamilton in the backcourt and Rasheed Wallace in the post, and then the other two starters would play off of that.
At the defensive end, Billups was an All-NBA defender. Now that's gone, too. So all of a sudden because you are not running all of that continuity and all those baseline screens, Hamilton has become obsolete. They are starting Rodney Stuckey at the point, Allen Iverson at the 2-guard and you are not running all of that designated take-advantage-of-the-defense spacing and movement. That's all gone.
Now they've tried to play Stuckey and Iverson in the backcourt, Hamilton at small forward and Tayshaun Prince at power forward. When you do that, it's great offensively, but you can't rebound at either end. In spite of all this, they are still tied for the fifth-best record in the East (as of Friday). But the late addition of Antonio McDyess is nowhere near what it has been in previous seasons because of a lack of conditioning and dealing with a new offense. And Wallace, McDyess and anyone else down low doesn't get many shot attempts for whatever reason.
It's a team that's struggling for an offensive and defensive identity, when in previous years you knew exactly what it could do year in and year out.
ESPN analyst Hubie Brown was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2003-04.
Dimes past: Jan. 16 | 17-18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24-25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31
Sunday marks 25 years in charge for NBA commissioner David Stern, but he has declined numerous interview requests from various media outlets to discuss his silver anniversary.
The following excerpts are from Bill Simmons' 100th B.S. Report podcast in December, when Stern was Bill's guest and couldn't stop him from asking a few questions about the milestone.
Bill Simmons: Every time someone has an interview with you they always have to ask the tough questions.
David Stern: Oh, boy. Here we go.
Simmons: I want to talk about that in two months, you'll have been the NBA commissioner for a whopping 25 years.
Stern: And I don't want to talk about that.
Simmons: Now, come on. You have to.
Stern: I don't have to do anything. [Laughs]
Simmons: Well, I'm going to coerce you. But I have three questions I want to get your take on.
Stern: Happy to answer them.
Simmons: First of all, the summer of 2010 stuff and teams now kind of trying to position themselves for something that's 18, 19, 20 months away. As a basketball fan, you can't be totally crazy about this, right?
Stern: No, that's just a fact of life in an era of free agency that began 30 years ago. It happens that the drumbeat goes for a few days but you guys will run out of steam on that, as you always do.
Simmons: What do you mean, "You guys?" Why am I lumped into the "You guys?"
Stern: [Laughs] Well, that's how I think of you; you're one of the "You guys."
No, you know what I'm saying. How many times can there be a headline that, "2010 is the year where perhaps the best class in NBA recent history is fully coming of age?" But so much can happen between now and then. And that's just the reality.
Someone was asking me about free agency and I remember when we, in effect, declared it, it was a time when sports teams thought they had the rights to players for life. That was more than 30 years ago.
And that was happening in baseball, with Catfish Hunter, or whoever was playing. And basketball with the [Oscar] Robertson case and the settlement. So we've been living in the era where players are projected to have their contracts expire and become free agents, that's what teams are able to anticipate. And that's the deal. So I don't think we should hyperventilate about it.
Simmons: All right. Well, the irony of this is way back in the day, you were one of the people involved in these lawsuits. I think you were involved in the Oscar Robertson one, right?
Stern: Correct.
Simmons: Were you against the NBA or were you working for the NBA?
Stern: No, I was working for the NBA, but in favor of a settlement, which dealt with free agency.
Simmons: So you're fine with the summer of 2010. Tell me about the economy, and are you at the point where you're going to seriously get worried about attendance and luxury suites and seeing empty courtsides? All that stuff.
Stern: My management style is characterized by worry. Period. To be worried all the time. And we're in, and getting deeper in, one of the worst economic times of probably almost 90 percent of the living people. So you worry about attendance, you worry about suites, you worry about club seats, you worry about sponsors -- you worry about everything. And you work very hard to operate efficiently, give the best value you can give and hopefully managing till that time when all of this gets better, whenever that is.
Simmons: Do you see, potentially, a time when any of these franchises that aren't drawing as much falling into real danger?
Stern: No, because we have a group of owners who are in pretty good shape financially and able to withstand this down economy.
Simmons: Your 25 years span from Feb. 1, 1984, all the way through today. In 25 years, the best player -- I'm going to say you say Jordan. Best player you've seen in person?
Stern: Oh, boy. I can't. I can't do it.
Simmons: What do you mean you can't do it?
Stern: Because you capture different moments. On a competitive continuing basis, [Jordan] was dominant. But I got to see in person, you know, Dr. J. Although, actually, he was a little older at the end there. I've got to see Magic do it in a way that was extraordinary. I got to see Kareem still sky-hooking. I got to see Larry look down, step back and sink the 3. I mean, Michael was extraordinary. He may, ultimately, be the greatest player to play our game. So it's a safe pick, but I feel conflicted.
Simmons: So it's almost like you're the dad and you don't want to pick who your favorite kid is.
Stern: I'm the uncle.
Simmons: Single greatest game you've seen in person? I'm going to say Game 4 of the 1984 Finals that went into overtime, Lakers-Celtics. It was a seminal moment for the league. That's my prediction.
Stern: Yeah, OK. But a close No. 2 was Chicago-Portland, where Michael was hitting all those 3s. And he shrugs like, "I can't understand. They keep going in." What a performance.
Simmons: That's Game 1 of the '92 Finals.
Stern: Right. But Lakers-Celtics in '84 -- I'm with you.
Simmons: During that series you're thinking, "Oh my god. This is what you dream for. We're getting a great matchup, great basketball -- we're on prime time for the first time in six years."
Stern: Yeah, but I'll tell you the truth: Who has time to dream? You just hope please don't get into fights, don't clothesline anyone; referees, don't do anything rash. Let's have no injuries, no violence, no missed calls. You fall into that trap very soon when you become commissioner.
To listen to the entire conversation between Simmons and Stern, click here. 
In his weekly chat, ESPN.com's J.A. Adande tried to figure out the Pistons' falloff and said the biggest All-Star snub resides in Cleveland.
Dan (Bridgewater, N.J.): Was Melo the biggest All-Star snub?
J.A. Adande: The one that stands out to me is Mo Williams. Cleveland's had a great season, and so many people give him credit for helping to change things. If the Lakers got two All-Stars, the Celtics got two and Orlando got three, Cleveland should have two as well. I would have taken Mo over Rashard Lewis.
David (GA): Why is LeBron James scared of participating in the Dunk Contest?? Is he scared of losing? It is VERY interesting that the winner of the last Dunk contest is the leading vote getter (out of nowhere). Given that it is established that LeBron's not particularly adept at selling his shoes, aren't you surprised that Nike hasn't asked him to appear in one?
J.A. Adande: While I wish LeBron would try it just once, at this point I don't see what he has to gain from being in the dunk contest. More exposure? We see more than enough of LeBron as it is. Dwight Howard used it to vault into more people's minds … now he's the top vote-getter. But I don't think LeBron would win over any new fans with a couple of dunks.
For the rest of Adande's chat, click here.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, both the Cavs and Pistons have spare parts to deal. Here's a look at the players who could be leaving Cleveland and Detroit before Feb. 19.
There are a lot of expiring contracts out there, but none gets more attention than Szczerbiak's, because the Cavs aren't interested in cap room right now. They want a championship.
Everyone in Cleveland is crossing their fingers that some desperate GM will pull a Chris Wallace and give away an All-Star for cap relief and late first-round picks. But more often than not, it doesn't happen. Still, with the economy turning sour and a scrum of teams trying to get under the cap in 2010, the Cavs might be able to pull it off.
Chance of trade: 60 percent
Everyone, including Joe Dumars, knew the Pistons were taking a big gamble bringing Iverson into the circle of trust. So far, the grand experiment hasn't turned out well. While the Pistons look like a playoff team, they no longer look like a serious contender for an NBA title.
So what do the Pistons do next? They can keep plugging along, let Iverson's contract come off the books and have around $15 million in cap space this summer. Or they can be proactive and try to turn Iverson into more assets, or possibly a veteran big to shore up their front line. While Iverson doesn't hold the same appeal to many GMs as he used to, he is still a great ticket draw and could make someone a lot of money.
Chance of trade: 25 percent
To see other wings on the block, click here.
Allen Einstein/NBAE
LeBron James scored 25 the last time the Cavs and Pistons met, on Nov. 19, but Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson combined for 44 points and snapped Cleveland's eight-game winning streak with a 96-89 victory in Detroit.
One thing that baffles me is how many coaches will choose to essentially waste the first possession of the game to run a post-up play for a big man who can't score. I understand that they're trying to get the bigs involved early, but seriously, is there not a better way than this?
Last night, for instance, Cleveland ran a post-up for Ben Wallace on its opening trip. That had what, maybe a 10 percent chance of working? I'm not picking on Mike Brown, either; I've seen nearly every team do this, and with players who are similarly untalented in the post.
C'mon, coaches, let's be a little more creative out there. If you want to get the guy an early touch, at least call a clever play or something where they can get an alley-oop or a roll to the basket, OK?
I think we'll all be better off if the guy-who-can't-score-on-the-block play isn't our opening possession every night.
To read more Insider Gems, click here.
The oddest of commodities sometimes come into play at the trade deadline, as evidenced by the case of Ben Handlogten.
When this decade comes to a close, there's a fair chance we're going to look back on it and decide that one of the most lopsided trades of the past 10 years involved that little-known big fella with the big, long last name -- an injured 30-year-old NBA rookie at the time who never played a single game for the Suns after they acquired him on Feb. 19, 2004.
The Jazz got rid of Handlogten, along with Keon Clark, in that deal with Phoenix in which they took on Tom Gugliotta's expiring contract along with two future first-round picks, plus a second-rounder.
So while most of the focus will be on Shawn Marion, Jermaine O'Neal and every other major or minor player whose name is being bandied about in trade talks, there are a lot of other commodities out there that can influence the market before the Feb. 19 deadline.
Here's a look at what the Pistons have in their back pockets if they want to wheel and deal to get out of their current rut.
ASSET: Extra second-round picksOWNERS: Pistons, others The Pistons have three in 2009 -- their own, Minnesota's and Toronto's -- plus Toronto's in 2011. The Trail Blazers have their own, New York's and Denver's in 2009 and their own and the Bulls' in 2010. The Spurs have Golden State's, Houston's and the more favorable of New Orleans' pick or its own in 2009. And the Lakers have their four in the next two drafts: their own two, plus picks from the Bobcats and Grizzlies.
To see the other 11 trade assets, click here.
