Former NBA commissioner David Stern underwent emergency surgery Thursday for what the league described as “a sudden brain hemorrhage.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with David and his family,” the NBA said in a brief statement issued Thursday evening. No other details were immediately available on Stern’s condition.
ESPN reported that Stern, 77, collapsed at a Manhattan restaurant and was rushed to a hospital. According to
ABC7 NY, the New York City fire department initially responded to a report of cardiac arrest at approximately 2 p.m.
Stern, described by the NBA as its “commissioner emeritus,” stepped down as commissioner in 2014 after 30 years in charge of the league. He was succeeded by Adam Silver, who had been deputy commissioner since 2006.
Under Stern’s guidance, the NBA grew from a financially troubled league into a lucrative operation with global reach. According to the league, its content is now televised and streamed in 215 countries and territories, in 49 languages.