For the last six years, the NBA has bathed in the congratulatory spirit of compromise, the model for commissioner-player communication. In ousting the racist former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, both the players and the league could claim satisfaction. The player voice was heard so powerfully that for the first time in the sport's history, it toppled an owner. They threatened to not play in the playoffs if Sterling remained, and the new commissioner, Adam Silver, agreed.
The commissioner gained the trust of the players, kept the playoffs intact and employed skillful diplomacy, allowing him to tell his bosses he allowed the players to approach a line while preventing them from crossing it.