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Message: [QUOTE="nelsonmuntz, post: 5289848, member: 833"] Stern was the right guy for a time, but I think he also really hurt the NBA in the 90's. Too much superstar ball, too much ISO, and Stern wasn't aggressive enough in getting Europeans to the NBA. Stern knew that zone defenses were inevitable, but Jordan was such a big moneymaker for the league that Stern didn't allow them until after Jordan retired. Watching clear outs and Craig Ehlo have to defend Jordan 1 on 1 was ridiculous. The irony of allowing zone defenses is that it made the game much more free-flowing, and actually helped offenses because there were more transition opportunities. Also, Portland would have won at least two titles if Arvydas Sabonis comes to the NBA in 1988 or 1989. I think Stern did not want a powerhouse in Portland, and also didn't want a drunken partier who couldn't speak English as the co-star of the top team in the league, and that is why he did not push harder for Sabonis in the late 80's. Replace Kevin Duckworth with Sabonis in his prime, and the early 90's Trail Blazer teams would have won 70 games a year. When Stern did finally try to help recruit Europeans, it was to bring the best player in Europe at that point, Toni Kukoc, to play with Jordan. Ultimately, I think Stern tried too hard to control the outcomes rather than focus on making the NBA the most fan-friendly product it could be. [/QUOTE]