David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer. He was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association from 1984 through 2014. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980.
Stern became Commissioner in 1984, replacing Larry O'Brien. He is known for increasing the popularity of the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s.
On December 12, 2019, Stern was hospitalized in New York City after having a cerebral hemorrhage. He died on January 1, 2020 at the age of 77.