Adam Silver to be next NBA commissioner

On David Stern's 30th anniversary of being NBA commissioner, he will step down from the powerful position. And a Duke graduate will take his place.

Adam Silver, who graduated in 1984, will be the NBA's next commissioner beginning on Feb. 1, 2014. Silver has worked in the NBA front office for 20 years and has been a deputy commissioner for the last six years.

From the NBA's press release:

Now “commissioner-elect,” Silver said to Stern, seated next to him during the news conference: “I think there’s no doubt you’ll be remembered as the best [commissioner] of all time. You set the standard, not just for the sports industry but I think all CEOs.”

Stern called Silver a “world-class executive” and said, while he had him in mind as his likely successor for years, he “could not be happier” that the Board of Governors approved Silver unanimously.

The Chronicle spoke to Adam Silver in 2011 as a part of a series about Duke executives in the NBA. Here is a snippet from one of those, titled "Coach K's influence extends beyond the court." Check it out:

“Coach K uses an expression with his team and that is about being ‘All-In,’” said Adam Silver, the NBA deputy commissioner. “He finds a way to make everyone feel, whether you’re the person booking the travel arrangements or responsible for the uniforms, that they are equally part of the team. There’s no doubt that that’s a large part of why he’s so successful…. He finds a way to get the best out of everyone.”

Silver, who did not meet Krzyzewski until after he graduated, saw firsthand how the Hall-of-Fame coach interacted with the USA Basketball personnel in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and he has applied a similar attitude to the Commissioner’s office as he leads the League’s global expansion and collective bargaining agreement.