David Stern's impact on the NBA cannot be overstated. He took over as commissioner of a struggling league in 1984. When he retired 30 years later, it was a global behemoth. That growth can be attributed almost entirely to Stern. He was an ahead-of-his-time visionary who, along with Pete Rozelle, is right there on the short list of greatest commissioners ever in the history of the four major sports.
Stern saw the big picture. He knew that the NBA's value was in its stars, and he knew how to market them. He became commissioner in Michael Jordan's rookie year. It's no coincidence that the NBA's rise started in the mid-80s, with Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird leading the way. Star players playing on good teams in big cities. The Lakers-Celtics rivalry helped the NBA takeoff, and that train hasn't stopped rolling since.
But David Stern was so much more than that. He instituted the Draft Lottery, guaranteeing every non-playoff team a chance at the top pick. He saw the value in new markets, adding six teams to the league, including the NBA's first two Canadian franchises. He started the WNBA, which is entering its 24th season in 2020. He spearheaded the creation of the NBA Development League, now the G-League, a minor league that provides domestic opportunities for players who otherwise would've had to go overseas in order to continue their careers.
Speaking of overseas, the influx of international talent into the NBA is yet another example of David Stern's massive impact. He was one of the driving forces between the greatest and most important basketball team ever assembled, the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics. The rest of the world got to see NBA stars on the international stage for the first time, and it didn't take very long for them to catch up.
Now the NBA is a truly global league. Under Stern, there were nearly 150 international games, and NBA games were broadcast in more than 200 countries and more than 40 languages. And that's not even mentioning the domestic TV deals, first with NBC, then with current partners TNT and ESPN/ABC. When he started, CBS was showing NBA playoff games on tape delay. Today, Finals games are shown live in countless countries and the league has its own TV network.
It was his idea to take the All-Star Game to Las Vegas in 2007. Which worked (proving Las Vegas is a viable major league market). It was his idea to play the 2010 All-Star Game at Jerry World, which set an attendance record of more than 108,000 fans.
Adam Silver, Stern's successor as commissioner, released a beautiful tribute to his friend and mentor on the NBA website. Stern knew he was leaving the NBA in good hands. And Silver knew that the NBA was in such good shape because of all the work Stern put in to get it there.
Don Larsen, meanwhile, will always be remembered for one signature moment. In the long, storied history of the New York Yankees, Larsen did something that stands out above the rest. In fact, it's a signature moment in baseball history. He threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. He didn't even know he was pitching that day until he saw a ball in his shoe when he got to the clubhouse. Little did anybody know, Larsen would earn a permanent place in baseball history that afternoon.
The team released a statement on Wednesday night acknowledging Larsen's status as a franchise icon: "Don's perfect game is a defining moment for our franchise, encapsulating a storied era of Yankees success and ranking among the best single-game performances in Major League Baseball history. The unmitigated joy reflected in his embrace with Yogi Berra after the final out will forever hold a secure place in Yankees lore. It was the pinnacle of baseball success and a reminder of the incredible, unforgettable things that can take place on a baseball field."
Whenever people go to the Yankee Museum, the first thing they want to check out is the "ball wall," which has autographed baseballs of almost everyone ever associated with the Yankees organization. The "ball wall" is 60 feet, 6 inches long, the exact distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate. At one end is a statue of Don Larsen, at the other is a statue of Yogi Berra. They change out the balls from time to time, but Larsen's has never moved and never will. It's in position 1A, as if it's coming out of his right hand.
When MLB Network launched on January 1, 2009, the very first program aired on the network was the original broadcast of Larsen's perfect game. Whether or not it was intentional or just coincidence, on January 1, 2020, the day Larsen died, the YES Network showed David Cone's perfect game...when Larsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Yogi Berra, his catcher that day. Frankly, I can't think of a better way to close that circle. It's yet another beautiful connection between Don Larsen and history.
Yankees fans are well aware of the connection between the pitchers of the franchise's three perfect games. Larsen and David Wells attended the same high school, Point Loma in San Diego. And Larsen, of course, threw out the first pitch on "Yogi Berra Day" at Yankee Stadium, when Cone ended up joining their fraternity as the author of the third Yankee perfect game.
There's a great picture of the three of them together from the final game at the Old Yankee Stadium. That club only has three members, and they all appreciated their place in it. It's why Wells and Cone always treated Larsen with reverence whenever they were together. It's why Yankees fans treated Larsen with such reverence, too.
Even as he became advanced in age and became weaker physically, Larsen was a fixture at Old Timer's Day almost every year. And he would draw among the loudest cheers. It'll be weird to not hear his name introduced and see him get that ovation this year.
Regardless, Don Larsen won't easily be forgotten. He'll always hold a special place in Yankees (and baseball) history. And rightfully so. There have only been 23 perfect games in MLB history, and he threw one in the World Series! Not bad for a journeyman pitcher with an 81-91 career record who had one incredible afternoon 63 years ago.
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