Knicks, Lakers Cancel Practice To Attend David Stern Memorial At Radio City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — David Stern's life and career will be celebrated Tuesday at a memorial service, three weeks after the former NBA commissioner's death.
Friends, family and colleagues from around the basketball world will gather for the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, just a couple blocks from Stern's longtime office at NBA headquarters.
Both the Knicks and Lakers reportedly canceled their practices in order to attend the private service. The teams face each other Wednesday night.
Stern died Jan. 1 at 77 after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 12 and undergoing emergency surgery.
Stern spent 30 years as the NBA's longest-serving commissioner. He took over on Feb. 1, 1984, and oversaw the league's growth into a more than $5 billion a year industry by the time he left his position.
During his tenure, the NBA added seven new franchises, and the WNBA and NBA G League were created.
His memorial service comes days before the NBA stages its first regular-season game in France, another milestone for a league that made international growth a priority under Stern. The NBA played nearly 150 international games under Stern and was televised in more than 200 countries and territories, and in more than 40 languages.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)