Silver earned new deal to remain commissioner

Adam Silver works for the NBA’S owners, who have seen their franchise values soar over the last decade. He doesn’t work for the players, but they seem to be rather enjoying how their bank accounts are getting stuffed as well. It’s a win-win.

And that means keeping him around seemingly is a no-brainer.

Silver and the league’s owners agreeing on an extension for him to remain as commissioner of the NBA for years to come, a development first reported Saturday night by ESPN and confirmed by The Associated Press, makes sense on every possible level. Owners are making money. Players are making money. Fans are happily spending lots of money, as proven by the league setting attendance records.

“Max contract? Seven years, $350 million?” Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo asked when told by AP about Silver’s extension agreement.

Antetokounmpo was kidding around, and the financial terms weren’t released, but there was a point within the joke — Silver earned this new deal.

“He’s done an incredible job,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s always been there for us. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I’d see him somewhere and we didn’t have a conversation about something that’s bothering me. Whenever I want to, I can reach out and set up a meeting ... he’s always available for us.”

The 10-year anniversary of Silver taking over as commissioner and replacing his mentor David Stern in the NBA’S top job is Thursday. Silver is typically happy to talk at length about just about any issue when asked, except himself. Put it this way: the idea of a retrospective-type story — his first decade in office — simply wouldn’t appeal to him.

He was asked about the looming anniversary when he spoke in Paris earlier this month before the game there between Cleveland and Brooklyn, and what he considered his best moment and worst moment as commissioner. “There have been a lot of great moments and some low moments as well. I’d have to think more about that,” Silver said, before immediately pivoting to things like World Basketball Day being celebrated by the United Nations, how more girls are interested in the WNBA and that players are more open about their mental health than ever before.