NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been through a lot during his tenure running the league. By most accounts, he has handled some very unique, complicated situations with grace and respect. Fans have responded by mostly applauding Silver’s work as commissioner. Lately, however, Silver has been receiving negative reviews because of his priorities, with some people saying it’s time for him to start focusing on retirement.
Being the league’s commissioner is mostly a thankless job, and people should cut Silver some slack. The resentful comments against him are sure to remain as long as he keeps making choices that seem to prioritize profit over performance.
Adam Silver Ruining The League Is All About Money
Before harping on Silver for some of his recent decisions, it’s important to celebrate some of the things he has done well. Taking over for David Stern was no small task, but Silver was willing and eager to get started when he became commissioner in 2014. He was a fresh face promising to point the league in a new direction while seamlessly picking up where Stern left off.
One of his first and biggest challenges was the Donald Sterling situation. Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, created a massive controversy and many negative headlines with his disgusting racist comments. Everyone was watching closely to see how Silver would respond, and he brought down the hammer, banning Sterling from the league and not mincing any words as he did so. Fans, players, coaches, and analysts all said that the commissioner handled that crisis well.
He’s done well in other ways, too. Silver was at the center of the NBA’s plans to get the league back to work during COVID. People may still poke fun at the Los Angeles Lakers and their “bubble ring” in Orlando, Florida, but even the biggest detractors must admit that putting together an entire playoff competition amidst a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic was a gargantuan job. Not a single player or staff member got sick during the Orlando playoff run, and that alone deserves praise.
The Play-In Tournament is another fantastic move by the commissioner. Created out of necessity during COVID, it’s become one of the most exciting parts of the season. The In-Season Tournament, on the other hand, is still finding its footing, although most people like what it’s done so far and are excited to see it evolve.
Silver’s Recent Shift Of Priorities
Recently, it seems that Silver has been losing sight of the right priorities. For years, fans have been crying out for expansion teams. The commissioner has finally revealed plans to establish franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas. Before that, however, he was adamant about selling the idea of a European expansion. The NBA in Europe sounds intriguing, but it wasn’t something that fans were clamoring for.
League loyalists have also been pleading with Silver to crack down on flopping and load management once and for all. To date, his ideas for load management haven’t done much but eliminate certain players from end-of-season awards. When it comes to flopping, the commissioner recently said he doesn’t consider it a huge problem, which goes against what many fans believe. Whether he’s turning a blind eye or just doesn’t care, he isn’t in step with most basketball fans on that matter.
Silver has been vigorous about his confusing and cumbersome anti-tanking rules, and he has been very proud of the new broadcast deals he created. Despite this, he hasn’t really been addressing the issues that fans have grown weary of. Some of the age-old issues still plaguing the NBA remain, and it seems that he won’t be rushing to fix them.
Again and again, the commissioner hasn’t pursued making the sport better, but has instead found ways to generate more money and expand the league. Those are important missions because the NBA never wants to grow stagnant, but he has clearly been acting more like a businessman than a basketball fan lately.
During his time as commissioner, he could have shortened the season (the best way to really reduce load management), fixed the All-Star Game, punished flopping, and done even more. Lately, it feels like he hasn’t been truly interested in those things and has had his sights set on improving the league’s bottom line, and expanding it in ways that most people aren’t asking for.
Is the league in better shape now than it was when Silver became commissioner? It is hard to argue that he hasn’t enacted some vital changes that have improved the league. His recent choices and priorities serve a purpose, but they all pale in comparison to the vital task of making the game better.
