adam silver

Jim Eichenhofer

In just over a half-decade at the helm of the NBA, Commissioner Adam Silver has been presented with several significant challenges. Silver indicated during a Monday interview with ESPN that the one he and the league are currently facing sits near the top of that list of adverse situations. While acknowledging that the circumstances may not be perfectly ideal for participating teams, players, coaches and referees, Silver reiterated to host Mike Greenberg that the NBA is continuing to work toward its goal of resuming the sport this summer.

“We’re dealing with extraordinary circumstances,” Silver said of trying to return to work while addressing COVID-19 concerns. “This is an incredibly unique circumstance, and what we’re trying to do has never been done before, as far as I know. To find a way to create our own sense of normality, through all of these incredibly difficult societal forces. Sacrifice in terms of…  how players and coaches will be living on this (proposed Orlando) campus, are all part of that. I don’t want to sugarcoat it.

“It will entail enormous sacrifices, (for) those players, the coaches, the referees. Listen, it’s not an ideal situation. We’re trying to find our way to our own normal, in the middle of a pandemic, a recession or worse – with 40 million or more unemployed – and now with enormous social unrest across the country.”

Silver described the initiative to get back on the court as being partly motivated by the notion that an integral purpose of the league is to provide a spotlight and platform for its players. As detailed during ESPN’s show, other professional sports are all planning to return as well in the near future, but they are at varying stages of those plans.

“It’s more a sense from the entire NBA community that we have an obligation to try this,” Silver said of the effort to play. “Because the alternative is to stay on the sidelines. The alternative is to, in essence, give in to this virus. We will ultimately find a vaccine or some sort of anti-virals that will help deal with the conditions of COVID-19, but for us we feel like this is what we do: We put on NBA basketball. We think for the country, it will be a respite from enormous difficulties that people are dealing with in their lives right now, and also (on) social justice issues, it will be an opportunity for NBA players to draw attention to these issues, because the world’s attention will be on the NBA and Orlando, if we’re able to pull this off.”

Silver also acknowledged the inevitability that many NBA teams will have brief offseasons compared to the normal basketball calendar. The Finals are projected to conclude in mid-October, with ’20-21 training camps potentially starting the following month in November. Even for teams that do not advance beyond the eight seeding games in Orlando, it will be a relatively quick turnaround before next season, but NBA teams and players have also been dormant for three-plus months since mid-March.

“We’ve had turnarounds like that for some players who’ve competed in Olympic or some (international) competition, so it’s not unprecedented,” Silver said of a very brief offseason for 2020 NBA Finals participants, for example. “Will the turnaround be quicker than normal? Absolutely… The conversations we’ve had with Michele (Roberts) and the players (on starting next season) are tentative dates. We need to work through them.”

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Adam Silver on ESPN: NBA community feels obligation to try to return to play

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Commissioner Adam Silver joins Inside

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Kobe Bryant:

“The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning.  He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary:  five NBA championships, an NBA MVP award, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and two Olympic gold medals.  But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.  He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Vanessa, and their family, the Lakers organization and the entire sports world.”

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver statement regarding the passing of Kobe Bryant

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Today's Black and Blue Report presented by SeatGeek is hosted by Sean Kelley as he sits down with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as well as Dave Pasch who will be calling tonight’s Pelicans/Thunder game for ESPN.

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Adam Silver and Dave Pasch on the Black and Blue Report presented by SeatGeek: December 12, 2018

NEW YORK – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson:

“The NBA family mourns the loss of New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson.  Big-hearted and gracious, Tom topped off a distinguished business and sports career by acquiring the Pelicans in 2012.  During his tenure, he hosted two highly-successful All-Star Games, rebranded the franchise and installed a first-class organization.  He was a dear friend to me and so many others in the sports world, and the loss of his authentic and unique presence will leave an enormous void.  We send our heartfelt condolences to Gayle, their family, the Pelicans and Saints, and his countless friends.”

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the passing of Tom Benson

Regardless of who wins the top individual awards at various events this week during NBA All-Star 2017, on Saturday evening the league’s commissioner already sounded like he wanted to hand out an MVP award – to the city of New Orleans.

With the NBA needing to change its location for the annual midseason showcase event on relatively short notice, the Crescent City was able to step forward and host the game with no hesitation. The city’s vast big-event experience of holding numerous Super Bowls and two recent NBA All-Star Games proved invaluable, according to Adam Silver.

“As always, they have been fantastic hosts,” Silver said of New Orleans. “They accomplished the impossible, on short notice, creating the hotel rooms and arena availability to make this work. A special thank you to Mitch (Landrieu) and Governor Edwards. Also, (Pelicans owners) Tom and Gayle Benson – when we went to them and said we needed to move the All-Star Game, they moved mountains to make this work, along with Dennis Lauscha, the president of the Pelicans, as well as the entire Pelicans organization.”

Silver cited a relationship between the NBA and New Orleans that has been mutually beneficial over the past decade-plus, dating back to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Silver said the Big Easy remembered how the league helped keep the franchise in the city and assisted greatly in its ability to find a permanent foothold in Louisiana.

“(New Orleans) said to us, ‘If you find yourself in a situation where you’re on short notice, the NBA has been great for our community, you all were there for us after Katrina; we’ll be there for you.’ ” Silver noted. “They welcomed us with open arms and everything’s working out well, but it wasn’t easy. They had to work with other groups that otherwise would’ve been here. They shifted their dates. Thank you to a few musical acts who moved out of the arena and the facilities in town to make room for us. It was not easy, but there was very much a can-do attitude.”

Asked if there have been any issues in terms of holding the All-Star festivities on a weekend when Mardi Gras is already in full swing in downtown New Orleans, Silver smiled, saying, “At least so far, we are coexisting very well with Mardi Gras. Our guests are having a great time partying together, whether you’re here for Mardi Gras, the All-Star festivities, or both. When we made that decision to leave North Carolina, we recognized there were very few cities in America that could host an event of this magnitude on short notice.”

Silver proudly noted that the league’s annual Day of Service actually began in 2008 at All-Star in New Orleans. It’s now become a staple of All-Star.

“It was initially a response to Katrina and our attempt to contribute to the community, when we brought our All-Star Game back here,” Silver said. “It’s become a regular feature in every city we go to, but it’s increasingly important and impactful here. Roughly 2,500 of our guests participated in the activities (Friday) in the community, building playgrounds, refurbishing courts, all kinds of great activities.”

The NBA also visited locations on the Day of Service that were affected by the recent destructive tornadoes in the area.

“There were additional sites we added on short notice, working with Mayor Landrieu,” Silver said. “My heart goes out to those families who were directed impacted by those tornadoes. I was pleased we were able to add those locations.”

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Adam Silver praises host city New Orleans in All-Star media session

NBA honors Pelicans employee Leo Freeman with Values of the Game award

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We're counting down the best interviews of Season One as Sean Kelley and John DeShazier catch up with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

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Best of Black and Blue Report: July 14, 2014

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