NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 17: David Stern attend Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2019 Gala - The Birth of Jazz: From Bolden to Armstrong at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 17, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images …
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA says former Commissioner David Stern suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage Thursday and had emergency surgery.
The league says in a statement its thoughts and prayers are with the 77-year-old Stern's family.
Stern served exactly 30 years as the NBA's longest-tenured commissioner before Adam Silver replaced him on Feb. 1, 2014. Stern has remained affiliated with the league with the title of commissioner emeritus and has remained active in his other interests, such as sports technology.