NEW YORK — David Stern loved to lord over the NBA during his time as commissioner, waving his imperial wand and illustrating who was in charge — and Stern’s league often followed suit, with dynasty upon dynasty setting the tone for everyone to chase.
“Lakers versus Lakers,” he was known to say as his dream finals — and he was only being slightly sarcastic.
Adam Silver is a different type of commissioner, in a different type of NBA, in a different time. Silver is more diplomatic, more prone to listen to his constituents, less stubborn and, in terms of how the NBA looks, wants parity — or at least the appearance of it.