Who was NBA commissioner before David Stern?

LARRY O'BRIEN

Only four men have held the league's top position: David J. Stern, Larry O'Brien, Walter Kennedy and Maurice Podoloff. Each man, in his own way, made a significant impact on the league's success and put a particular imprint on the league's history.

An attorney, Stern began his association with the league in 1966 as an outside counsel and was named NBA General Counsel in 1978. After a promotion to Executive Vice President in 1980, he moved into the Commissioner's office when O'Brien retired in 1984.