Earlier this afternoon, we passed along reports that David Stern had set an official date for his retirement. There were several other topics that the NBA Commissioner spoke on during a teleconference today, and here are some of the highlights (mostly in the form of Twitter links):
- The league is doing very well financially, as Stern specifically mentioned that an 86% renewal of last year's season ticketholder subscriptions as well as record sponsorships are among the significant sources of profit.
- Between now and April, the NBA's Board of Governors will work on the terms of Adam Silver's agreement to become the next commissioner.
- Stern used the words "extreme importance" to describe his focus on continued international expansion. It should be noted that the league recently opened offices in Brazil and Mumbai.
- He urged the city of Sacramento to continue their support of the Kings and then hope for the best. Stern had separately stated that a new arena would be needed in order for the team to remain in Sacramento for the long-term. He also mentions that the league owners will discuss whether or not expanding the association beyond 30 teams should be considered, which could present a scenario in which Seattle would not have to purchase the Kings in order to own an NBA franchise (according to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee).
- Stern denied any involvement in preventing Stan Van Gundy from becoming an analyst for ESPN.
- He endorsed the system used to facilitate the Dwight Howard trade, calling it a "pretty good system."
- The number of years for contracts signed by free agents has been decreasing, which the Board believes will improve competition.
- The Grizzlies are expected to yield "much improved financial results" under their new ownership.