Stern talks on NBA the law

Being the commisioner of a major sports league is not just about handing out suspensions. National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern spoke about the legal intricacies involved with heading a major sports league yesterday afternoon at the Law School. "There is an extraordinarily rich history of litigation in the NBA, in Major League Baseball, and in the National Football League," Stern said. "[The issues run] from salary caps, collective bargaining agreements, drug abuse, mandatory drug testing, HIV, copyright law, registration [of foreign players] and immigration rules right down to televison contracts and restrictions in both America and Europe." Stern, the head of the NBA for the past 10 years, explained that, "like any CEO, I depend upon a group of lawyers." He added that his own legal experience was invaluable in his work. "My shooting percentage in NBA affairs would be significantly lower if I didn't have legal training myself," he said. Stern stressed the importance of having someone in charge who not only knows how the NBA works, but how the world works. "Good ol' NBA basketball is quite a product," he said. "It will be the most popular sport in the world but it won't get that way by us wishing for it. "Sports is involved in some very important trends throughout the world," he added. "[They] present themselves as prime opportunities for manufacturers to get to their consumers. The opportunities that exist for us are extraordinary, but the NBA will only survive if it adopts itself to the new global economy," Stern said. Basketball's popularity is at an all-time high, and over the last three years four new NBA teams have come into existence. There has been some speculation that expansion will initiate the thinning of talent. "In 1976 we had 18 teams. In 1993 we have 27, and look at how we are doing. We [draw players from] the NCAA, the Continental Basketball Association and various foriegn countries." Despite the tremendous amount of available talent, Stern admitted that he is not quite sure of why the NBA is doing so well. "In 1980, [people complained that the NBA] was too black, that there were too many drugs and that salaries were too high," Stern said. "Today there are even more blacks and salaries are higher than ever." The students were generally impressed with the commissioner's speech. "I thought it was informative and entertaining," said Law student Ravi Motwani. "I liked hearing about how a law student like myself can get involved with the NBA." Stern's stressing the international aspect of the game "really put into perspective the appeal of the NBA," added College sophomore David Yerkin. Although Law student Steven Goldberg said he found the speech interesting and worth attending, it was too predictable. "Most of what he spoke of I expected," he said. "Marketing, how much the law is involved in the global issues of the game, and business aspects of running a sports league are not new issues."