“He Was Rigid” – Knicks Legend Patrick Ewing Talks Differences Between Adam Silver and David Stern Amid Huge Changes in NBA

If you’ve lived through two decades of the NBA at least, there are two discernible eras. The Adam Silver decade and pre-2014 governed by David Stern. Under Silver, the NBA became more competitive, experimented with new formats, expanded beyond national borders, and is currently finalizing a $76 billion media rights deal. A deal that could end TNT’s era that began in Stern’s tenure. This deal could mean dire things for Inside the NBA but huge benefits for NBA players. Patrick Ewing says that’s the key difference between both NBA commissioners.

In his first year as NBA commissioner, David Stern presided over the 1985 NBA draft where the New York Knicks picked Patrick Ewing first overall. Ewing retired as a player in 2002 and last coached an NBA team in 2017. He had been under Stern’s era as a player and as a coach. So when asked about the differences between the NBA commissioners on The Roommate Show, Ewing said, “I think they’re similar in a lot of ways but they’re definitely different.”

He proceeded to say, “David was… much more disciplined. He was rigid, it was going to be his way or the high way.” Undeniably, Stern was known to follow the letter of the law. He issued the longest suspension in NBA history on Ron Artest, instituted a dress code after Allen Iverson defied it too many times, stripped Seattle of its beloved NBA team, and failed to change the material used in basketballs when Shaquille O’Neal contested against it.

One of his most controversial moments was the 1985 draft. He gave the struggling Knicks the lottery pick and they ended up taking the future superstar that was Ewing. To date, countless conspiracy theories surround this draft process and Stern.

But Stern is also remembered as someone who wanted to break the stigma surrounding HIV by reading up on the disease before convincing Magic Johnson to come out of retirement informally. He even dispatched doctors to teams to dispel fears of having Johnson back in the 1992 All-Star game and summer olympics. When Stern passed away in 2020, Magic recalled everything Stern did to change perception. Currently, Magic is commenting on the media rights situation and future of analysts.

Adam Silver is making the NBA profitable

Stern projected Adam Silver as his successor since 2012. In 2014, Silver was officially in charge. While his predecessor made drug regulations stringent, Silver removed random testing for m*rijuana in 2021. He also ended Elam Ending in the All-Star Game and instituted the In-Season Tournament to make the season competitive from the start. In January 2024, he reportedly extended his tenure as the commissioner but details are obscure.

Compared to Stern, Ewing says Silver is making the NBA more lucrative. “Adam, I think he is…definitely… more open to what the players think.” But he states both have grown basketball and increased revenue which translated into max salaries for NBA players.

Silver hasn’t officially announced the new NBA media rights deal but has reportedly finalized the new structure with ESPN, Amazon and NBC. $76 billion will lead to some massive salary cap increase but it puts TNT in jeopardy. It will be up to Adam Silver now to save TNT.