I love Commissioner Stern.

He was always.

It's up front.

He was a terrific leader, a great visionary.

He always joked with me about ruining draft day fashion.

What?

Every time he saw what he say, he just joked about my red and white suit Every time he saw every time he saw me, I would just add an event with him.

Isaiah Thomas and Earl The Pearl.

Maybe three months ago, celebrating the MBA and and as somebody who's biological father played in the NBA and I never got a chance to meet him, I dreamed of that day like so many young people.

I'm not only going to make it to the NBA and play basketball games, I'm going to shake David Stern's hand.

You know what that mean?

Going in the first round?

Yep.

Yep.

So there's a distinction.

And so that moment right there not only changed my life and so many fortunes of my family, I want to acknowledge some of the things that he has done for the league.

That I don't think people really understand what So being born in 1973 and loving the game and playing all hangers in the house and all of that before I was able to watch the NBA.

Just think about that.

Ah, young child is five years old.

It couldn't watch the NBA.

How about that?

Then all of a sudden, my childhood idol knew about him, had two chances, one championship in college and all of a sudden he go to the lead.

I'm following were Magic go.

He went to the Lakers.

I'm following.

Then all of a sudden, another guy, Larry Bird.

They became the greatest rivals.

That sport has seen it all of a sudden.

In 1984 guy named David Stern takes over a league that a lot of sponsors and people who did marketing felt was drug infested.

Yeah, and the elephant in the room in the United States.

He had to convince these check writers that black players could be great pitch men, to the point where he wanted his players to be looked at his movie stars in superheroes.

And that's what the league continue to foster with Michael Jordan, Key Malaj want Charles Barkley, the bad Boy Pistons and did Michael Jordan and then that was the diamond that took it to a whole different stratosphere.

How about the Dream Team in 1992?

That's one thing that people don't realize is.

If you are young, you don't realize we didn't always have pros in the Olympics.

We have basically a college all star team go the Olympics.

There wasn't the fanfare and the big stars.

It was a college all star team, the Olympics.

It wasn't the best players that we have in 1992.

That changed everything.

And David Stern had a lot to do it.

And that covers a lot of bases.

You just You just said a mouthful and I think about this A.

It shows your product globally.

Nicknamed me the best international NFL player.

Just a giant.

Okay, a reigning M V p in the Greek freak in Lucca.

Donncha Dirt?

Oh yeah, they were all inspired by a globalised the game of globalization of the game.

That's one to now.

All of a sudden, these players get a chance to not only show their great basketball prowess to the world, but they also become international pitchman Thistles before Yao mean and this is before LeBron and people taking trips abroad with their brands in their teens.

I went on a trip to Europe in 1996 with the NBA plan with the Pacers.

I want a couple of NBA Cares trips as well.

David Stern was, Ah, terrific leader.

Not ever.

Some turbulence there, of course he was at 30 years wanted to have that job.

You're not gonna have everybody be happy with you, especially when you're at the negotiation table as much as he was.

So did you stay in negotiations?

So let's talk about the money.

In the eighties, you could buy NFL team MBA team $5 million e got that in my pocket.

Now the average team is $2 billion.

Crazy.

I mean, just look it.

Just let's talk about the money for a second.

Look at those numbers.

One of those numbers tell you the numbers tell me growth.

It also shows somebody has to be a visionary because as a young kid, remember, I talked about not being able to watch n b a basketball in Detroit.

Michigan now is being watched across the world.

Oh, yeah, on phones.

You used to watch it on tape delay their tape, delaying the games.

They were playing the games and then showing you the games later.

Imagine that in today's day and age.

Imagine listening to the game on the radio.

Okay, so now Playerssalaries, where he became the leader of the MBA.

250,000.

Now do you got that in your pocket?

250,000 now today.

Seven million?

Well, you had talked to a MBA player said 1,000,000 name.

Whatever player said.

1,000,000 Nicolas Batum.

125 million.

Imagine what Michael Jordan thinks every time he pays Nicholas, but that because of this, so one thing I want to ask you because we all know what he's done and especially the way he's been celebrated is.

But what was he like as a person like we like from the outside, is a fan, so I don't know his legacy and what he's done for the game.

But what was personal interaction like with David Stern?

Wow, I'm going almost 94 $2 for 40.

I'm 25 years almost in the league, working as a player and in the media.

And every time he saw me, especially when are retired He always complimented me about how he felt.

I was a terrific television ambassador for the game, and he will always say I was the best.

I appreciated that about him.

He also would joke with me about ruining draft a fashion, but I always will pick his brain about thoughts and ideas.

When I just saw him, I was asking him, What did he think about Low management?

Just saw him three months ago, asking what you think about low management, the growth of the game.

And to be such a visionary and such a leader, you're not gonna always keep people happy.

I remember a couple of rules changed I didn't like like when MBA changed the ball when I was in Phoenix in like 2006.

I don't like when the three point line got moved in in the mid nineties.

I didn't like when a dress code guy instituted, but here's what I realized as I got older about the dress code.

He didn't enforce it.

No, that was a headline you got finds.

That was a headline.

Thanks for watching ESPN or YouTube.