NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage on Thursday and underwent emergency surgery, the NBA said in a statement. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Stern collapsed at the Brasserie 1/2 restaurant in Manhattan and was rushed to the hospital.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with David and his family," the league said in its statement.
The 77-year-old Stern was the league's commissioner for a record 30 seasons, overseeing the league through a rapid period of growth.
He joined the NBA as outside counsel in 1966, before working his way up to commissioner, taking over for Larry O'Brien in 1984.