Adam Silver has been the NBA commissioner since 2014. He’s overseen the greatest comeback win in the finals, the first ring after Kobe’s passing, and more. He was the man behind the play-in idea; he made the final moments of the regular season more exciting than the first rounds of the playoffs.
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But not everything has been hunky dory—silver is not 24-karat gold. There have been moments where fans felt nothing but tepid — bored even by some of his decisions. While the first All-Star game after Kobe’s passing was the best we’d seen in years, the one just gone by was by far the worst.
His handling of certain off-court situations (read Ja Morant) has been met with ridicule. The previous commissioner was much more (David) Stern with the miscreant. David got Gilbert Arenas kicked off the team, and soon the league, for breaking protocol.
With such a rollercoaster of a CEO, why is Silver one of the shortlisted members to replace Bob Iger at Disney?
Adam Silver is very good at his job – and companies want good people
NBA revenue has been increasing steadily since 2014. He made the league a $6 billion business in 2021, with revenues always on the rise. Be it through broadcasting rights, the NBA League Pass, or jersey sales, Silver has been the backbone of an ever-expanding revenue center.
In the entertainment industry, you need someone who can bring revenue up. And with the NBA being entertainment first, who better to lead the world’s biggest entertainment firm than him? The others on the list include Kevin Mayer of Candle Media and Disney Co-Chairman Dana Walden.
While it makes sense to promote internally, Disney has never been shy about breaking the norm. Just see how they’ve let Kevin Feige rule the roost at their subsidiary, Marvel. He’s made Warner Brothers cower in fear, almost making them sell their comic franchise to Disney.
It could become a reality, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver working in tandem with Marvel Head Honcho Kevin Feige. If he has the acting chops, he could be the next (Adam) Silver Surfer!
What does it spell for Silver and the league, if he decides to leave?
With his contract running down, he would be, in NBA terms, an unrestricted Free Agent in 2024. Having been with the entity since 1992, this would be the first time in 32 years that he would be outside of a basketball role. What would it mean for him? Well, he’d move from one organization that has dodgy connections with China, to another.
For the league, it would mean that deputy commissioner Mark A. Tatum would probably be the one to step up. Not to be confused with Jayson Tatum in any way. Tatum is more than qualified for the job, as he’s been with the league as COO for 9 years. He also is from Harvard, so he knows his beeswax.
Everyone will have to wait and watch to see what will happen in one year. Maybe Silver and Feige have the best time ever, or the NBA gets to see their commissioner stay. Either way, the business, shall be boomin’.
Also Read: WATCH: Bronny James Embarrasses Himself Despite Hyping Up the Crowd For Insane Dunk
