Courtesy of Cody Mulcahy

David Stern b. 1942

David Stern worked in his family's deli before graduating from Rutgers University and then earning a law degree from Columbia University. He joined the National Basketball Association as an outside counsel and was elected its fourth commissioner in 1984. During his tenure, the NBA has added seven franchises, enjoyed a 15-fold increase in revenues, launched the Women's National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League, and dramatically expanded its reach both nationally and around the globe. Before becoming commissioner, Stern helped craft the landmark 1976 settlement between the NBA and its players, leading to free agency, the salary cap, revenue sharing, and professional sports' first anti-drug agreement.