BENCHED

Commissioner Stern Retiring From NBA

Adam Silver will replace him.

On his anniversary of 30 years at the league, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Thursday he’ll be stepping down in 15 months. Stern, who started in 1984, announced Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver will be replacing him on Feb. 1, 2014. “Adam is a world-class business executive who has influenced so many areas of our business during his 20-year tenure with the league, from television, to digital, to international, to merchandising, to sponsorships, to team business, to, of course, labor negotiations,” Stern said of his successor in an email to NBA executives. The latter part of his praise must resonate with employees—the NBA endured a two-month lockout last year that ended in a long-term labor agreement.