Is David Stern the "problem" with the NBA?

Question

Okay, after the whole Knicks-Pistons thing, David Stern said that he was going to make the league better...well, get it to have a better reputation. Let me say that he is doing a terrible job.

Examples:
>Dress code

>remember last year during the finals, he suspended Stackhouse...i didnt think that was right...AND I'M A HEAT FAN!

>Now he just made three, suspentions. I understand Robert Horry, but is two games pushing it? And i know that its a rule, but i still dont see why he suspended Stoudemire & Diaw, if he didnt suspend Duncan the other night for the same thing......hummmm.......

Answer 1

this is a delicate matter. rules are set and need to be obeyed. if not, discipline must be enforced. the problem is, when to enforce it. it needs to be tempered immediately. the bad thing is that this will hurt the playoffs. suspending players at this time will definitely increase the oppositions chances of winning their series.



from what i've seen, the problem is in the officiating. there needs to be some sort of standard followed from the top down, not developed as the game progresses. this whole spurs thing seems to have gotten out of hand, and i think someone claiming the spurs are dirty has gotten into the referees head and they are paying for it. i saw ginobili getting mauled on saturday, and hardly anything gettting called. seems to have been happening the whole suns/spurs series. now that the refs have let it get away from them, they can't let the game be played as it should and it's now basketbrawl.



i don't want to be labeled a spurs fan, but it seems everytime i watch them play, they are outnumber by three (refs)

Answer 2

Nobody bats one hundred, but I think overall, he's done as good a job with his league, as any other commissioner has done with his, of the four major team sports. I like the dress code rule. It shows the league has a little class, and isn't so ghetto. I remember the play your talking about with Stackhouse, and I thought it was warranted. Besides, he has a reputation for getting in fights, and causing problems. I think two games is about right for Horry. It's a shame about Stoudemire and Diaw, but the reason that Duncan and Bowen didn't get the same penalty, is because the incident in the first quarter was not considered an altercation, and players are allowed to leave the bench area without a penalty in those situations. I do agree with Charles Barkley that the rules that got Stoudemire and Diaw suspended aren't right, and the league should very seriously considered modifying, or altogether getting rid of that rule. However, because those are the rules at the moment, the league regretfully had to abide by them. Sometimes it takes an incident like this in order to get change to occur.

Answer 3

Yeah, you're right...the dress code is stupid. NBA players should look like thugs when they show up for games! Really...who cares about that rule! Stoudemire and Diaw left the bench, the rules are clear on the punishment for that. The League has stood by that rule for years, why would this be a special situation?

Answer 4

No. The players are. Why shouldn't players come to games dressed for work?



And that rule wasn't made by David Stern. Stern wasn't commissioner then.



It's the players. They need to understand that the basketball court is not a gangster playground.



Why Duncan isn't suspended is because pretty much everyone on the Spurs bench were already jumping up and down on that dunk. You cannot suspend them for cheering on the team or celebrating. Duncan, however, did take a step forward. But if you were to suspend Duncan, you have to suspend every player who ever stood up to cheer for his team. And that's pretty much every player in every game.

Answer 5

There are a few reasons why I stopped watching the NBA 2 Years ago.



1) When a company has a dress code for players as they WALK in the building, that's called "Selling out". Stern tried to say that if corporations refused to advertise because athletes wore jeans, sandals, t shirts, and gold chains INTO THE DRESSING ROOM TO GET CHANGED. Sorry, but if a company refuses to advertise because Lebron doesn't have a collared shirt on when he steps out of his limo, that company is playing a BS game. Not many white guys in their 50s-60s even watch NBA right now.



2) When Stern said he roots for NY & LA every year to be in the Finals because they are the 2 largest markets. The Commissioner is supposed to be fair and balanced?



3) Things like the Spurs-Suns suspensions. Bruce Bowen will get MVP of this series because he kneed Nash in the "package", and not receive a suspsension. If you add up the suspensions, you get 2 games off for a reserve, and 2 games off for starters. Isn't it the Spurs that instigated the fight? If Stern/Stu Jackson want San Antonio to win so much, why not just call the Series over and advance them? When it's San Antonio-Detroit in the Finals, and Will & Grace reruns beat the Finals in ratings, I'll be laughing my butt off.



4) Finally, Laker fan killed NBA for me. Lakers have not been an upper tier team in years. Faker fans were saying "Phoenix beat us this year, but we were the better team". You lost in FIVE! It wasn't just one bad call. When Kobe scores 60 and you lose by 12, you go around work saying "Man Kobe was awesome. We lost, but he scored 60."

Answer 6

I think the players are partly to blame because basketball has intertwined with the hip hop lifestyle too much. Stern has made some bad decisions during his tenure and isn't backing them up (case in point, he cancelled his trip to Phoenix tonight). Horry deserved what he got but if you're going to suspend Stoudemire then you have to suspend Duncan because he stepped on the court multiple times that night including during that incident.

Answer 7

I think that there is a lot of inconsistency in how he handles problems. He makes it all situational and that's wrong, you break a rule punishments should follow...Horry should be done. Nobody seems to mention that he punched Bell in the face when everyone got upset about Nash getting that cheap shot, it never even got brought up. It's just all inconsistent and that's why it's a huge problem.

Answer 8

he doesnt suspend! But I do not like him! Kinda like Bud Selig, dont like him either! I give him credit for making an attempt, cuz it does need to be cleaned up a bit! Thugs have no business in a professional enviroment! Go to any other professional setting and they do not exist. As for the dress code, I agree with it. Your a pro, dress like a pro. I am totally with you on the Stack suspension! That sucked! good question!

Answer 9

Its both stern and jackson there both on thier high horse thinking the nba is in the same league as the nfl and mlb. as far as the susp. on the suns its BS an i'mm not a spurs or suns fan. they kiss duncans *** since he's the poster boy for them an all they want to see is duncan an james in the finals wait and see what happens

Answer 10

When you have so many young kids coming into the game, making more money then they could spend in a lifetime, and half of them are street thugs with nicce clothes, you have to put in some rules.......although the Phoenix suspensions were according to rules, that wasn't the purpose of putting that particualr rule in, but, you have to follow the rules or you end up with anarchy. Leaving the bench is leaving the bench, period.

Answer 11

David Stern built the NBA to its highest point of popularity and now that the thugs are taking over people like you want to blame Stern. C'mon jackazz!!!

Answer 12

Yes! I think he is a dictator. He want to international teams to spoil the league and he also picks on players to hate plus he cares more about money than the sport.

Answer 13

correct! he is a hypocrite and should be tossed out of the game! 2 games for stoudmire? there goes the chanes that the suns had right!!! down the drain! no way phoenix can win now!! and you can thank the commish, stern, and his cronie, that jerk stu jackson for the suspensions! that have now! cost the suns and steve nash a shot at the title!! thank you, DAVID STERN HYPOCRITE!!

Answer 14

A real Commissioner will Man-Up and show up. He was scheduled to make a flight and watch the Suns in Phoenix.



He is not showing up now. He lost my respect. He should show up as scheduled, if he don't - shows you how manless he is. What a puss!



Suns in 7 anyway

Answer 15

It's not a team sport anymore, that's whats wrong with the NBA.

Answer 16

He knows the league is gangsta and is dying a slow death, but he's still counting his money hand over fist with his fat grubby jew hands so what's he care?

Answer 17

I have never wasted my time watching a NBA game.. So I can't help. But I didn't want you to think I was ignoring your question...

Answer 18

NO!!!

It's Stu Jackson.

Answer 19

yes