How long has Adam Silver been the commissioner for the NBA? Looking closer at major moves made under him

Adam Silver was named the NBA Commissioner on February 1, 2014. He succeeded his mentor David Stern who held the office for 30 years before announcing his retirement in 2012. Stern endorsed Silver to the board of governors in October 2012 but it wasn’t until nearly two years that his mentee took over.

Silver was the unanimous choice by the league’s team governors to assume the role that Stern handled for three decades. On February 1, 2014, he was officially given the task of running the league for four years.

In 2018, the NBA was even bigger than what it had been when David Stern left. Adam Silver played a key role in its development which prompted a six-year extension. Silver’s current contract runs until the end of this year’s championship.

The Duke University alum is reportedly in talks for another extension that will reportedly be up until the end of this decade. The NBA board of governors looked at what he has accomplished and likely didn’t hesitate to offer him a new contract.

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A few of Adam Silver’s contributions to the NBA since becoming the commissioner

#3 $24 billion TV and media deals in 2014

Roughly eight months after succeeding David Stern, Adam Silver nailed the NBA’s biggest TV and media deals in history. Silver led the negotiations that led to a nine-year, $24 billion deal with ESPN and Turner Sports.

The amount is three times over what the league had previously agreed to. It was a transaction that significantly juiced up the salaries of players and teams’ salary caps.

Silver is currently back for another round of negotiations as the deal will likely be even bigger than what the league has now.

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#2 Adam Silver banned/suspended Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver

One of Silver’s biggest tests after becoming the NBA Commissioner was former LA Clippers governor Donald Sterling’s alleged racist remarks. After an investigation showed that Sterling was guilty of the allegations, the commissioner quickly acted and banned him for life. The banishment eventually led to the sale of the Clippers to tech titan Steve Ballmer.

Four years later, Adam Silver banned former Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver for racist and sexist comments. He also penalized him for $10 million for the offenses following an internal investigation. Sarver eventually sold the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury to Matt Ishbia.

Silver has largely kept the NBA racism and sexism-free.

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#1 Leading the NBA during the pandemic

Adam Silver showed his ability to lead the NBA out of a crisis during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. He suspended play right after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. Silver’s actions prompted other sports and businesses to follow suit.

The commissioner also managed to salvage the players’ salaries and TV deals by holding a “Bubble Tournament” in Florida. The LA Lakers emerged as the 2020 championship winners against the Miami Heat. Given the dire situation, most observers call it an incredible success by the league.

These three accomplishments alone are enough to consider Adam Silver for another run as the NBA’s commissioner. With everything else that he has done for the league, it’s a no-brainer to let him guide the league for more years.