On February 1, 2014, Adam Silver was unanimously approved to succeed David Stern as Commissioner of the NBA. Originally the Deputy Commissioner from 2006 through 2014, he was the right-hand of David Stern, who endorsed Silver to be his replacement in October 2013. Previously, Silver worked as senior vice president of NBA Entertainment, president of NBA Entertainment, a special assistant to the Commissioner, NBA chief of staff, and Deputy Commissioner under Stern. The basketballs used for NBA games now contain Silver’s signature. Silver hand-picked Mark Tatum as his Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. Tatum is the first African-American Deputy Commissioner of the NBA in history.

Adam Silver is one of the most liked and well-respected commissioners in professional sports and you know this by the always warm reception he gets during NBA drafts and the way the players and media revere him.

What he actually does is constantly promoting and marketing the league to all current and potential stakeholders, including owners, sponsors, players, and fans.

The Commissioner is also responsible for handling disciplinary issues. They must decide what types of actions are punishable both on and off the court and they must make a decision on what type of punishment fits the crime. This can be fairly difficult with superstars that you need to have on the court to garnish attention to your overall product. Too lenient a punishment may give people in the NBA an impression that their leader is soft on consequences.

Negotiating contracts with television and broadcast companies is probably one of the more important behind-the-scenes roles of a Commissioner. Those big contracts to broadcast games are what bring in the majority of the league’s revenue. They also work out deals with sponsors, merchandisers, uniform and equipment suppliers, and much more.

Another difficult aspect of the job is working out labor agreements with the NBA Players Union. These contracts and agreements determine the stipulations – salary caps, scheduling, league policies, and much more – of the contract between players and the league. If the players or owners disagree on anything involved it could derail seasons and give the league a bad reputation in the eyes of fans and sponsors.

Who is the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

Silver was born in a town north of New York City in Westchester County in 1962.

In the Spring of 1981, Adam Silver became a member of the North Carolina Alpha Chapter at Duke University. Following his Duke experience, he attended the University of Chicago where he earned his law degree in 1988.  In that same year, Silver attended an NBA All-Star game where he met David Stern, which proved to be a providential meeting and ultimately changed the direction of his career.  During his time as a Phi Delta Theta at Duke University, he held the position of Alumni Secretary.  Before his career with the NBA began, he served as a law clerk to Manhattan federal Judge Kimba Wood, and then as a litigation associate at a top New York law firm.  After four years in the legal field, he began considering other options. It was during this time that David Stern hired Silver as a special assistant and later became Stern’s chief of staff.

Stern and other business associates said Silver’s practical nature, calm presence, and strong work ethics were just a few of the reasons why he was perfect for the Commissioner role.

What he actually does is he presides over a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues:  the National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association, NBA G League, and NBA 2K League.  He is dedicated to growing basketball around the world, embracing innovative new technologies, increasing transparency, and using basketball to bring people together and promote health and fitness.

Silver was named SportsBusiness Journal’s Executive of the Decade and has been ranked No. 1 on the publication’s annual list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business.  He was also named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, and The Bloomberg 50, Bloomberg Businessweek’s list of 50 people who defined global business.  Additionally, Silver has earned Sports Executive of the Year honors at the Sports Business Awards and was named Sports Illustrated’s Executive of the Year.