Breaking: NBA Commisioner Adam Silver Critical After Car Accident
We aren't clear on the details yet, but we are getting word that the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Adam Silver, has been involved in a serious car accident in New Orleans, Louisiana on his way to the league's annual all-star game. It is unclear of his status at the moment, but sources are saying he has been taken to Ochsner Medical Center and is in unstable and critical condition. We will keep you updated as we get more news.
It wasn't long until the league itself confirmed the fears of every fan of the NBA. Many of the league's players responded on social media as well.
Silver was named the All-Star Game MVP that year with no game being played, a move seen as highly respectful to the man who had given up so much of his life to the game.
The mood around the league was a sombre one. For the remainder of the season, each team wore a "Silver Lining" patch on their jersey commemorating the commissioner. The mantra meant to shift attention to the positive contributions of Silver's life and came accompanied with an ad series paying tribute to the man's many accomplishments. The league went so far as to donate all revenues of the t-shirts and patched jerseys they sold to MADD, as a drunk driver had caused the accident that had so quickly taken the life of the commissioner.
The show must go on, though. Discussions started ramping up quickly about who might serve as Silver's replacement. Most of the discussion centred around Mark Tatum, Silver's Deputy Commissioner. Tatum, however, made it clear that it was not a foregone conclusion and if the league, including him, found someone who they thought would be better for the organisation's development then he would have no problem stepping aside. Time went on and many names were brought up. Michael Jordan, Doris Burke, Ernie Johnson and Greg Poppovich were all brought up as fun ideas on fan forums and Twitter, but in the end a bigger name then them all came out of retirement to take on Silver's mantle.
"I'll be honest. I realise I am not everyone's first choice for this position, but let me assure you I will devote my life to this league fully and make decisions that benefit the NBA and its fans as a whole. Let me be clear, I will not bring politics into what I see as an apolitical organisation. I will not let my personal beliefs impact how I run this league. I will also try my hardest to make sure my bias for the greatest team in the NBA, my Chicago Bulls, does not impact the decisions we make moving forwards."
Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, was certainly a polarising decision. It had been approved by the owners, however, many of whom had Republican leanings. He had more administrative experience than anyone and from all reports had actively pursued the job and showed a real passion for the sport he would soon be a visible ambassador of.
He worked remarkably quickly, as well. Before the regular season had even ended he had made several moves to advance his vision of the new NBA. His first was a renegotiation of the jersey deal with Nike, which now provided for lower rates to fans buying the jerseys as well as the option for a free rebrand paid for and designed by Nike themselves for each team. On the subject of jerseys, Obama also worked to secure and approve advertisement patches for every team for the coming 17-18 season. Most importantly, however, he also announced the expansion of the NBA to thirty-two teams. That process he promised, would be completed before the start of the next season of NBA basketball.
Where they would be, however, he did not immediately announce. Seattle was looked at as a given and one of the primary motivators of such a rapid expansion deal. It was a huge untapped market, and would also be seen as a very popular move by the fanbase. Not to mention, its theoretical exclusion would likely produce an incredible amount of backlash.
The second was bitterly argued on the internet and by league executives, who were now in the position of courting cities and wealthy businessmen who might be interested in an NBA franchise. Reports circulated that there were five major competitors for the team. Las Vegas, with its brand new T-Mobile arena and its surge of new professional sports teams, was an obvious option. Louisville, a mecca of basketball and its history with the Colonels provided a decent option for the NBA. The two largest Canadian cities after Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, were two strong options, considering the commercial success of the Raptors in the last few years. Lastly, Mexico City, believed to be a solid option by the late Silver, was also considered for its massive size and the ability to expand NBA basketball to an entirely new country.
We aren't clear on the details yet, but we are getting word that the commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Adam Silver, has been involved in a serious car accident in New Orleans, Louisiana on his way to the league's annual all-star game. It is unclear of his status at the moment, but sources are saying he has been taken to Ochsner Medical Center and is in unstable and critical condition. We will keep you updated as we get more news.
It wasn't long until the league itself confirmed the fears of every fan of the NBA. Many of the league's players responded on social media as well.
Silver was named the All-Star Game MVP that year with no game being played, a move seen as highly respectful to the man who had given up so much of his life to the game.
The mood around the league was a sombre one. For the remainder of the season, each team wore a "Silver Lining" patch on their jersey commemorating the commissioner. The mantra meant to shift attention to the positive contributions of Silver's life and came accompanied with an ad series paying tribute to the man's many accomplishments. The league went so far as to donate all revenues of the t-shirts and patched jerseys they sold to MADD, as a drunk driver had caused the accident that had so quickly taken the life of the commissioner.
The show must go on, though. Discussions started ramping up quickly about who might serve as Silver's replacement. Most of the discussion centred around Mark Tatum, Silver's Deputy Commissioner. Tatum, however, made it clear that it was not a foregone conclusion and if the league, including him, found someone who they thought would be better for the organisation's development then he would have no problem stepping aside. Time went on and many names were brought up. Michael Jordan, Doris Burke, Ernie Johnson and Greg Poppovich were all brought up as fun ideas on fan forums and Twitter, but in the end a bigger name then them all came out of retirement to take on Silver's mantle.
"I'll be honest. I realise I am not everyone's first choice for this position, but let me assure you I will devote my life to this league fully and make decisions that benefit the NBA and its fans as a whole. Let me be clear, I will not bring politics into what I see as an apolitical organisation. I will not let my personal beliefs impact how I run this league. I will also try my hardest to make sure my bias for the greatest team in the NBA, my Chicago Bulls, does not impact the decisions we make moving forwards."
Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, was certainly a polarising decision. It had been approved by the owners, however, many of whom had Republican leanings. He had more administrative experience than anyone and from all reports had actively pursued the job and showed a real passion for the sport he would soon be a visible ambassador of.
He worked remarkably quickly, as well. Before the regular season had even ended he had made several moves to advance his vision of the new NBA. His first was a renegotiation of the jersey deal with Nike, which now provided for lower rates to fans buying the jerseys as well as the option for a free rebrand paid for and designed by Nike themselves for each team. On the subject of jerseys, Obama also worked to secure and approve advertisement patches for every team for the coming 17-18 season. Most importantly, however, he also announced the expansion of the NBA to thirty-two teams. That process he promised, would be completed before the start of the next season of NBA basketball.
Where they would be, however, he did not immediately announce. Seattle was looked at as a given and one of the primary motivators of such a rapid expansion deal. It was a huge untapped market, and would also be seen as a very popular move by the fanbase. Not to mention, its theoretical exclusion would likely produce an incredible amount of backlash.
The second was bitterly argued on the internet and by league executives, who were now in the position of courting cities and wealthy businessmen who might be interested in an NBA franchise. Reports circulated that there were five major competitors for the team. Las Vegas, with its brand new T-Mobile arena and its surge of new professional sports teams, was an obvious option. Louisville, a mecca of basketball and its history with the Colonels provided a decent option for the NBA. The two largest Canadian cities after Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, were two strong options, considering the commercial success of the Raptors in the last few years. Lastly, Mexico City, believed to be a solid option by the late Silver, was also considered for its massive size and the ability to expand NBA basketball to an entirely new country.
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