Adam Silver is an attorney, businessman, and sports executive worth $40 million in the United States. Adam Silver is the National Basketball Association’s fifth and current commissioner (NBA).
Early Life
On April 25, 1962, Adam Silver was born in Rye, New York, a suburb of New York City. He attended Duke University to study political science after graduating from Rye High School in 1980.
He served as a legislative assistant for Les AuCoin, a member of the US House of Representatives, for a year after getting his college degree in 1984. He eventually went on to study law at the University of Chicago and graduate with a Juris Doctor degree. in 1988.
Silver served as a law clerk for Judge Kimba Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York following graduating from law school. Afterward, he joined Cravath, Swaine & Moore as an associate.
NBA Career
In 1992, Silver began his eight-year term with the NBA as its Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. He participated in projects such as the formation of the WNBA league, the NBA Development League, NBA China, and the relationship with Turner Broadcasting for them to handle the NBA’s digital assets while holding that role.
He was also involved in the league’s negotiations with the NBAPA for the previous three CBAs. He has also held the positions of Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the NBA, and Chief of Staff for the NBA. Also, read about Sean Parker Net Worth
The IMAX film “Michael Jordan to the Max,” the documentary “Whatever Happened to Michael Ray? Silver worked for NBA Entertainment and produced the films “Like Mike” (2002), “Year of the Yao,” and “The Last Shot” (2000).
When he announced that he would be leaving his job on February 1, 2014, David Stern, the NBA Commissioner at the moment, backed Sterling Silver to be the organization’s new commissioner in October 2012.
Adam Silver faced his first serious issue as league commissioner in late April 2014 when he had to address the racist statements made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling. While being filmed, Sterling was overheard making extremely offensive comments to his girlfriend.
Shortly after the tape was made public, Silver and the NBA announced that Sterling would be banned from ever again attending an NBA game. In addition, Silver and the NBA stated that they will use all legal means to compel him to sell the team. This was one of the heaviest punishments ever issued to a professional sports team owner.
Other important situations that Silver has handled as commissioner include a Daryl Morey tweet from 2019 supporting the protesters in Hong Kong. The tweet raised questions about the NBA’s cooperation with China as well as political controversies.
Morey’s post received a critical response from China, which hinted that they would decide to sever ties with the NBA. Silver, on the other hand, replied in favor of Morey and argued that he was entitled to freedom of expression and the ability to express himself.
Silver had accumulated a long list of achievements in the sports industry. The Sports Business Journal named him first on their list of the 50 Most Influential People in the Sports Business for 2016.
In 2015, he was named Executive of the Year by the Sports Business Journal, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, and one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders. Additionally, Sports Illustrated honored him as Executive of the Year in 2014. Also, read about Ken Jennings Net Worth
Personal Life
Silver and his wife Maggie have been married since 2015. They raised a daughter together. He holds a position on the Duke University Board of Trustees and was given the University of Chicago Law School’s 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award. He also serves on the board of directors for the Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
What Did He do Before Becoming NBA Commissioner?
Silver worked as a litigation associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York, where he focused on media and antitrust matters before joining the NBA. Also in New York, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Kimba Wood of the United States District Court.
Adam Silver Net Worth
Adam Silver is estimated to have a net worth of $40 million. Each year, Silver is paid $10 million. Adam Silver’s contract with the NBA was extended in June 2018 to include the 2023–2024 campaign.
By the end of his contract, he will have earned exactly $100 million from the league. He probably receives bonuses as well for reaching particular benchmarks and revenue/expansion objectives.
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