[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. DAVID STERN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 2020

  Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life, accomplishments, 
and legacy of Mr. David Stern of Scarsdale, New York. Mr. Stern passed 
away on January 1, 2020, at the age of 77. An attorney by training, Mr. 
Stern served as commissioner of the National Basketball Association 
(NBA) from 1984 through 2014. Mr. Stern is survived by his adoring 
wife, Dianne, and his two sons, Andrew and Eric.
  As NBA Commissioner, Mr. Stern shepherded the NBA from a middling 
American sports product to a global entertainment giant. During his 
tenure as commissioner, the NBA gained 7 new franchises, opened offices 
in 15 cities outside the United States, and televised games in more 
than 200 countries and in 50 languages.
  Business accomplishments aside, David Stern's socially responsible 
leadership of the league was truly groundbreaking. He was deeply 
committed to advancing opportunities for women in the game of 
basketball, overseeing the creation of the Women's National Basketball 
Association (WNBA) in 1997. In speaking of his commitment to the WNBA, 
the league's first president, Val Ackerman, said, ``Without his vision 
and engagement, the league wouldn't have gotten off the ground. He was 
the mastermind, and the WNBA was really in line with his vision about 
how sports and society are intertwined.''
  We also recognize David Stern for his support of Los Angeles Lakers 
forward Earvin `Magic' Johnson in the wake of Johnson's HIV+ diagnosis 
in 1991. In an era of great mythmaking and stigma regarding people 
living with AIDS and HIV, Stein appeared publicly with Johnson at a 
press conference in the announcement's wake and invited Johnson to 
participate in that NBA season's All-Star game. The next summer, he 
ensured Johnson's inclusion on the 1992 Olympic `Dream Team' that sent 
NBA players to compete in the Olympics for the first time in the 
league's history, an achievement Stern also masterminded.
  Stern's public support for Magic Johnson, coupled with his efforts to 
educate both the league and the public about the reality of the 
disease, was more than just a nice gesture from employer to employee. 
It was a bold, public demonstration of compassion that changed minds 
and undoubtedly helped save lives. For this, we honor the character and 
strength of David Stern.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members of Congress to join me in 
recognizing David Stern's exceptional accomplishments and in sending 
our sincerest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

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