David Joel Stern (born on September 22, 1942 in New York City, New York) is the current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 1984, when control transitioned from the previous commissioner, Larry O'Brien. David Stern grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and is a graduate of Teaneck High School. Stern attended Rutgers University on a full scholarship. He graduated as a dean's-list history student in 1963 and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1966. Stern began his association with the NBA in 1966 as outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O'Brien. Stern has served on the Rutgers University Board of Overseers and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. j_stern_bio.html" target="_blank">David J. Stern, _National Basketball Association. Accessed September 3, 2007.
