Put in Work: What Adam Silver's Done Since Taking Over

From banning Donald Sterling to wrapping up a new $24 billion media rights deal, Adam Silver's on a bit of a roll right now.

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Image via Complex Original
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Right now, Adam Silver is so hot that GIFs like these exist.

This wholesale enthusiasm for an NBA commissioner is something we haven't seen in some time. Stern had a relationship with everyone involved in working for or loving the NBA that can be summed up like this:

It's Silver's pragmatic-as-advertised style and openness to new ideas that has more progressive fans excited. David Stern, accomplished as he is, was known as an asshole. Silver's remodeled a commissioner's office that had grown out-of-touch (but never lacking in passion), and has instilled a new sense of drive and experimentation into its drapes. Find out what measures have actually been taken and what other advancements are currently underway within the NBA in Put in Work: What Adam Silver's Done Since Taking Over.

Donald Sterling is gone.

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The new behemoth of a media rights is done.

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Nine years and $24 billion dollars. That's how much ESPN and TNT will combine to pay the NBA for continued media rights. It's three times the value of the existing deal. That's a lot of money that's going to go to a lot of places to grow the league, and in 2017, perhaps player's wallets will lap up the excess. The new deal will kick in after the 2015-2016 season, and according to ESPN NBA editor Adam Reisinger, the salary cap could rise to $88 million that year, allowing players to potentially sign max contracts that are worth up to $40 million for one year of play. There's more within the deal that we'll get to later, but in summary:

There's a clear moral code in today's NBA.

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The Monday morning after an ESPN investigation revealed just how badly the Ravens and the NFL fucked up Ray Rice's domestic abuse case, Adam Silver called a press conference. It had been just over seven weeks since the NFL first announced a two-game suspension as punishment for Rice KO'ing and dragging his fiance's body through a now defunct casino elevator. Video of Rice carrying out the deed surfaced, and the NFL promptly did everything it could to cover its own ass by digging deeper holes. The public's trust in the most powerful sports league in the world had evaporated over a news cycle, and Silver, along with the rest of us, watched in horror and disappointment.

His words in that Monday morning press conference just seven weeks after a two-game suspension to punish one player’s caveman-like regard for a woman were direct:


“We learn from other league's experiences. We're studying everything that's been happening in the NFL. We're going to take a fresh look at everything we do,” said Silver.

Basically: We promise we won’t ever fuck up like Roger and the gang did.

Silver is intent on making good on his implicit promise too. A month after that press conference, Silver stated that the owners were making progress on examining new domestic violence policies for the league.

Although the NBA’s current policy allows for a punishment upon conviction by the legal system, Charlotte Hornets forward Jeff Taylor is on a paid leave of absence after his own domestic abuse charges surfaced last month. No further action will be taken against Taylor by the league until the NBA and the police finish their investigations into the allegations. It’s an encouraging step to see Taylor taken off the court and swept into the Hornets’ periphery while more info is gathered. No slap on the wrist suspensions or ultimate judgment calls. Taylor's status was a sensible and respectful retraction—a holding pattern for NBA knobheads, if you will. 

With Silver’s We Won’t Fuck Up press conference, he’s established that in his NBA, there’s a certain moral code to uphold that goes beyond our steadfast over-reliance on the justice system. As seen in Ray Rice's own case, it's a system that can be manipulated if you’ve got money and power. “Innocent until proven guilty” isn’t good enough for a distrustful and admittedly bloodthirsty mob of media and folk. If the evidence is as clear as day, then swifter action is demanded to authority figures to calm our calls for punishment.

In the case of a professional athlete, those phone calls, tweets, messages, and emails will go right to the commissioner’s office. Where does the duty lay then? The loud judgments in the court of public opinion are essentially forcing business entities to make punishments based on their own morality and application of justice. Is that healthy for anyone? It's time to re-assign the blame game here. Adam Silver should consider lobbying Congress to create a "Ministry of Sport" (ok you come up with a cooler name) whose sole responsibility would be to hand down punishments as they see appropriate. Let's give the government something else for us to blame them over, and relieve the sports commissioner of these unnatural considerations of being an actual human for once. 

Silver's a bit different though. He isn’t afraid or unabashed by the recognition of a more liberal moral public consensus, and he’s proven to answer the call when it feels like hero is needed. He's human. The NBA is fortunate for that. 

Draft lottery reform is finally on the table.

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Experimentation with shorter games.

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He drafted Isaiah Austin.

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We're getting closer to being able to watch NBA games without needing cable.

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He's expressed a preference for a hard cap.

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He's already thinking about “Champions League Basketball.”

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He's made Mark Cuban (and any other NBA officials who get pissed at refs a lot) happier.

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Expansion in China has expanded.

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Advertisements on jerseys (like in soccer) are “inevitable.”

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You're getting an NBA Awards show on TNT soon.

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The players believe in him.

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