NBA commissioner Adam Silver shared his experiences in the NBA and at Duke with seniors during the Class Day ceremony Friday.
Silver, Trinity ‘84 and a member of the Board of Trustees, described lessons he learned throughout his own career and offered graduating seniors advice on handling disappointment, injustices and other challenges. Silver also noted that men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski will speak at the commencement ceremony Sunday and made the theme of his speech “the five things Coach K won’t tell you.”
“I have a feeling there will be some things he won’t tell you on Sunday that you should hear, if not from Coach K, then directly from me,” he said.
Silver explained that the “referee is always right,” and that graduates will have to learn the importance of “moving on from bad calls”—noting that students have had to do this numerous times already to make it to graduation.
Krzyzewski will also not talk about “how your teammates will often let you down,” Silver said, further explaining the importance of giving others the chance to redeem themselves.
“All the people you’ve invited to graduation will all let you down at some point,” Silver joked.
Silver also emphasized the importance of improvisation and “throwing out the playbook,” explaining that the legal career he pursued after Duke did not fully engage him. He noted that his decision to become a part of the NBA—which he was initially advised against—has provided him with fulfilling experiences such as Basketball without Borders, a NBA community outreach program.
“Life took a turn I could never have predicted,” Silver said. “In that moment, I ignored the playbook, and even some coaches, and in the future you might want to do the same.”
The other team always has an unfair advantage and plays by different rules, Silver said, encouraging seniors to persevere through adversity and stand up for those who are not being treated fairly.
“In life you will face injustices large and small,” he said. “The choice is to bemoan it or play through it. Remember much of what you encounter will seem unfair, but you’ll have no choice but to fight for it.”
Silver also recounted the first time he attended a Duke basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium as a freshman and being called up to shoot a free throw. He said he was nervously thinking that he “just had to hit something” or he would be too mortified to go near the game of basketball ever again.
“I hit the rim,” he said. “That is to say, you can miss your foul shots and still make it to the NBA.”
The event also featured a speech from senior Bron Maher, a member of the comedy group Inside Joke and former Monday Monday columnist for The Chronicle. He noted that many seniors feel like their time at Duke went by quickly and recounted the Class of 2016’s shared experiences—including ongoing campus construction and the lack of available parking.
In addition, each senior received a note from alumni across the country upon entering the ceremony. These cards featured tips and life advice—such as “don’t graduate, it’s a trap,” “wear comfortable shoes” and “success is a byproduct of happiness.”
Seniors said they were pleased with Silver’s keynote address, noting that it offered important lessons for their future after leaving Duke.
“I definitely needed to hear it at this point,” senior Mithun Shetty said. “It contextualized a lot of things that have happened to us. He really laid it in with some deep messages.”
Senior Jesse Honig said he was grateful that Silver took the time to speak to them, especially because it was not the official commencement ceremony.
“It was kind of cool to have the NBA commissioner come speak to us at a non-official graduation ceremony,” Honig said. “This seemed like a low-priority to a lot of students, but not for the NBA commissioner.”
Silver told The Chronicle that Sterly Wilder, associate vice president for alumni affairs and Trinity ‘84, asked him to speak at the ceremony, which was held for the first time last year for the Class of 2015.
“I think it’s a great new tradition,” Silver said. “I was pleased to be a part of it. It’s great to see so many of the class out here today, and I really enjoyed talking to everyone.”
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