Former NBA Commissioner David Stern died Wednesday afternoon at 77 after suffering a brain hemorrhage last month, NBC News reports. Stern served as commissioner of the NBA from 1984 through 2014, and was subsequently named the league’s commissioner emeritus. He was the NBA’s longest-serving commissioner. According to an NBA statement, his wife and family were at his side when he passed away. “Because of David, NBA is a truly global brand—making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, lauding the late commissioner’s innovations for the league and bringing basketball to billions around the world. “Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration.”
