On January 1, NBA commissioner emeritus David Stern passed away at the age of 77. He was the longest-serving commissioner in the history of the NBA and he oversaw the league for 30 years.
Fans, teams, and players remembered the former commissioner upon the news and the league will now commemorate him in a special way for the remainder of the season.
How did former NBA commissioner David Stern die?
As previously reported, David Stern’s cause of death was a brain hemorrhage, which he suffered three weeks ago. According to TMZ, Stern was dining at the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant in Manhattan when he collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery.
The NBA family pays tribute to former commissioner David Stern. pic.twitter.com/ZIPVTWYJEG
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 2, 2020
According to Web MD, a brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke where an artery in the brain bursts and causes bleeding in surrounding tissues. The bleeding kills brain cells due to swelling inside the brain. causing pooled blood to collect into a mass known as a hematoma.
While some patients can recover completely from a brain hemorrhage, there are possible complications, including loss of brain function and in the case of the former commissioner, death.
NBA to honor David Stern for rest of season
In the NBA’s statement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, he referred to Stern as “a mentor and one of my dearest friends,” adding that he was “one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.”
Stern presided over the NBA from 1984 until February 2014, when Silver took over.
Stern helped to famously bring the league to prominence during the days of Michael Jordan, who became a major pop culture icon with the Chicago Bulls. He was also sitting by Magic Johnson’s side at a press conference in 1991 when the NBA star announced he had HIV.
David Stern was such a history maker. When I announced in 1991 I had HIV, people thought they could get the virus from shaking my hand. When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 1, 2020
In addition, Stern instituted the NBA dress code, helped launch the WNBA, and was famously on stage to shake the hand of a young LeBron James back in 2003.
As a tribute to the former NBA commissioner, the league plans to put commemorative black bands on player jerseys and referee uniforms. They will have these on for the remainder of the season.
The NBA and its 30 teams will honor David Stern with commemorative black bands on player jerseys for the remainder of 2019-20 season. Referees will also wear the special bands on their uniform.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2020
According to Yahoo, the bands will be placed near the corporate sponsorship logos on player jerseys. As of this report, it’s unknown when the NBA plans to introduce the commemorative black bands on player jerseys and referee uniforms.