I often disagreed with the longtime NBA commissioner during my playing days, but our interactions bred a grudging mutual respect
![David Sterns complex legacy is worthy of high respect and close inspection](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/36c4e947619c9781f08d3d35ae6b1b78e0c7cf35/0_106_3600_2160/master/3600.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctb3BpbmlvbnMucG5n&enable=upscale&s=c33a8e23a8b29fdeed74d0cdf95794d9)
The passing of longtime NBA commissioner David Stern has prompted impassioned reactions in
basketball circles over the past week. On one hand, Stern was a visionary figure of far-reaching influence who transformed a second-class league into a global marketing force. But he was also a man who leaves behind a complex legacy, one that was captured in the comments that trickled onto my
Facebook page when I offered my condolences.