After 30 years, NBA commish leaves behind a changed game

David Stern watched his final game as NBA commissioner Thursday night at Madison Square Garden before serving his final day Friday after 30 years on the job. When he took over in 1984, the NBA had 23 teams — four of those headed toward bankruptcy — and the NBA Finals were shown late at night on tape delay. Now there are 30 teams and it's global with games shown in 215 countries.

"I'm going to miss being in the middle of all the people, but I won't miss my calendar," Stern said during halftime of TNT's New York-Cleveland broadcast seated beside his wife Diane and alongside his successor Adam Silver.

Stern said he'll keep busy and plans to do speaking engagements, some teaching and consulting and other stuff. "Don't worry," he said. "We're going to ski. We're going to hike. We're going to play tennis."

Yes, somebody got snubbed

The Eastern and Western All-Star reserves as chosen by each conference's coaches were announced Thursday and of course deserving players got left out.

So who was the most this year?

The East: Indiana guard Lance Stephenson wuz robbed and Toronto's Kyle Lowry has something to complain about, too.

The West: New Orleans' phenom Anthony Davis, Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins and Phoenix guard Goran Dragic, although one of the three will be chosen by Silver as an injury replacement if starter Kobe Bryant can't play.

You heard it here first…

TNT analyst Chuck Barkley on Washington's young guards Bradley Beal and John Wall, who was named Thursday as an All-Star game reserve for the East: "John Wall and Bradley Beal are going to be the best backcourt in basketball in five years."