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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Not Leaving To Become New Disney CEO

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated29 Mar 2023

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Not Leaving To Become New Disney CEO

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has no plans to become the new CEO of Disney, per sources. Silver, 60, has been the subject of rumors speculating that he will soon replace Bob Iger at the multibillion-dollar company. The league executive refuted the claims on Wednesday. Silver became the fifth NBA Commissioner in February 2014.

When the New York native joined the basketball league in 1992, he worked as the league’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for eight years under his predecessor, David Stern. In those roles, Silver helped negotiate the league’s last three collective bargaining agreements.

According to multiple NBA betting sites, the Milwaukee Bucks are the favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks show the Boston Celtics with second-shortest odds, followed by the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

Speaking of collective bargaining agreements, the NBA and NBAPA are working against a midnight Friday deadline to decide whether or not to opt in to the current CBA for June 30. “I think everyone understands what’s at stake,” the NBA Commissioner told ESPN.

“I certainly can foresee one getting done and I hope we do get one done. “It’s just because, honestly, I’m only one side of the negotiation, it’s difficult for me to place odds on whether or not that’s going to happen. Still a lot to go in the next few days.”

When asked about succeeding Bob Iger as Disney CEO, Silver added, “I love my job” and have “no intention of going anywhere.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is not interested in becoming the next Disney CEO, remains focused on collective bargaining agreement

However, the NBA Commissioner does have an interesting résumé. Silver worked eight years as president and COO of NBA Entertainment. With the production company, he served as an executive producer of the film Michael Jordan to the Max (2000) and documentary Whatever Happened to Michael Ray (2000).

Additionally, Silver helped the production staff with Like Mike (2002) and The Year of the Yao (2004). If Silver ever decided to step down as the league’s commissioner, a CEO job over at Disney might suit him. His alma mater includes Duke University (BA) and the University of Chicago (JD).

In 2014, Silver was named the Sports Illustrated Executive of the Year. Two years later, the NBA Commissioner ranked No. 1 on the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business” list by Sports Business Journal in 2016. Silver was also named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People.”

Equally important, one of his biggest obstacles to overcome as commissioner was the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2020, Silver decided to suspend the 2019-20 season in response to the contagious disease. It was a time of uncertainty and panic across the world.

By June, the league pushed to resume the season for 22 of the 30 teams in the Orlando Bubble. It cost the league an estimated $170 million to protect the health of players, coaches, and training staff.

The Los Angeles Lakers went on to defeat the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. Based on the unpredictable turn of events that season, it’s fair to say that Adam Silver did a great job, all things considered. From the end of the 2021-22 season to the start of this season, the NBA Commissioner has helped the league increase its revenue to $8 billion.

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