NBA's Adam Silver: I 'haven't given any thought' to becoming NFL commissioner

·Columnist

14 February 2019 at 1:34 pm·3-min read

Many NFL fans wish the league would replace commissioner Roger Goodell. From the poor response to the terrible non-call in the NFC championship game to the league’s continued stumbles when it comes to incidents of off-field violence to myriad other issues, they’ve seen enough and believe the league and its highly compensated leader can do a better job.

Like, perhaps, the NBA’s commissioner.

But he says he’s not interested.

‘I have not given it any thought’

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he hasn’t thought about becoming NFL commissioner, though there are reports he’s been approached by NFL owners. (AP)

Via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Adam Silver, who will celebrate his five-year anniversary as head of the NBA at this weekend’s All-Star Game, has no designs of leaving for professional football.

Silver did not explicitly confirm to Shelburne that he’s been approached by NFL owners about their league’s top job, but Shelburne reports that several owners have tried to get Silver to their league.

Two years ago, ESPN reporters Don Van Natta and Seth Wickersham reported that a confidant of an NFL owner had approached Silver to gauge his interest in being NFL commissioner; Silver immediately said no.

“I’ll just say I have not given it any thought,” Silver told Shelburne. “I feel very fortunate to be in this position. As a longtime fan, as a longtime league employee, the opportunity to become the commissioner of this league was beyond anything I even ever dreamed of as a kid.
“I’ve loved every day I’ve been in this job, and I think there’s nothing but enormous opportunity ahead for this league. And ultimately, I realize I’m just passing through like every player who’s gone through this league and ultimately like every owner, and I feel an enormous obligation to the fans and to this greater NBA family to do my best and try my hardest every day. But that’s where 100 percent of my focus is.”

Silver has also been approached by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Silver has overseen massive growth

The 56-year-old Silver, who succeeded his former boss, longtime NBA commissioner David Stern, has overseen massive growth.

Since Silver took over the NBA, league revenues have nearly doubled, from $4.8 billion to a projected $9.1 billion. Over that period, team valuations have increased by 267 percent according to Forbes magazine, to an average of $1.9 billion.

One of Silver’s first acts was banning then-Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from the league after audio of Sterling making racist remarks about players surfaced. Since then, he has kept the league on the forefront of social and business issues.

Silver signed a five-year contract extension last June that goes though June 2024, but it’s unknown how much he earns. Goodell signed a five-year extension in December 2017 that is worth up to $200 million.