Those who know Adam Silver and have followed his career probably were not overly surprised by Tuesday’s announcement. He has learned not just from David Stern, but from countless others in sports, law, finance and communications as to what best practices should be. Listen, build consensus, communicate with those around you, take away surprises and make sure all who speak do so from the same script. Be prepared.
We saw the same preparation go into Sunday’s press conference in Memphis. Silver understood that he was not just speaking to a national audience but that he was in Memphis the home of the Grizzlies, with many of their media in attendance. Before addressing the news of the day with the Clippers, he spoke clearly and thoughtfully on the passing of former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, who had died earlier in the day. It showed compassion and humanity, with no rush to hyperbole or the buzz of what the real news was to come. Compassion and thoughtfulness set the tone. Once that was stated, it was on to the news of the first steps in the Donald Sterling investigation. There was no ambiguity, every answer was well thought-out and addressed clearly. A timeline was set up, and there was little indecision on when next steps would be. No joking, no sarcasm, just clearly thought out messages.
Tuesday was more of the same. Clear definition. A solid message brought forth from consensus. There were few if any “don’t knows’ or items left to chance. Clear, calm and definitive as one can be. No key parties were left to twist in the wind. The Clippers, a valuable franchise and an unwilling victim in the circumstances of one man, were not thrown aside, they were acknowledged and their subsequent actions in the digital space helped unite rather than divide the news of the day. That was seen throughout the sports and entertainment world as every party reacted, and those within the NBA family either spoke loudly in support or did not speak at all. Everyone pulled from the same playbook. The message of one face ruled the day. Clear and concise with no margin for ambiguity.
Now for sure this was not just a soapbox push to do what is right just by itself. This was a clear statement built out of the word in the business community, both short and long term. Over the past few days, from Capitol Hill to Wall Street to Madison Avenue, influencers have voiced opinion and taken action to show how important this decision was going to be. When sponsors run, season ticketholders speak, politicians weigh in, your business, that of the NBA, is at risk, and all those actions obviously played into the decision Tuesday and rightfully so.
Is this battle over? No way. Silver’s actions and words on behalf of the league now get passed through the court of public opinion to the legal system, where big ticket items like fair market value for the club will be bandied about for months of not years, and we will come to know the name of any series of arbitrators down the line.
However the teachable moment was the most important; a clear message by one voice that ruled the day. Clear and concise with no margin for ambiguity. That’s what we want from all in a position of leadership, be they parents or educators or mentors or business leaders. Adam Silver set the bar very high today, and all who helped him get to this point should be proud.
