Madison Square Garden fills up for almost every Knicks home game even though the product on the court hasn’t been much to brag about for a while. The franchise can thank David Stern for that.
Under his 30 years of leadership as NBA commissioner, Stern turned the once-struggling league and all that goes with it into a global attraction, making iconic venues like the Garden a destination for basketball fans around the world even when the Knicks aren’t winning.
Stern, who died Wednesday at age 77, helped create the aura of the NBA and venues like the Garden with a visionary approach that turned the league into a multi-billion dollar industry.