Which sports league’s commissioner’s last name can be found on the periodic table?
Introduction
Funny names are pretty common when it comes to the world of celebrities.
Perez Hilton, Randy Savage, Ice Cube – just to name a few.
And while most are a creative choice to replace their more common names to stand out from a crowded entertainment industry, some people are actually born with pretty interesting choices.
Another industry that also has had some pretty interesting names?
The sports industry.
For example, did you know there’s a sports league commissioner whose last name is on the periodic table?
Keep reading to find out who that is.
Which sports league’s commissioner’s last name can be found on the periodic table?
That would be Adam Silver. Initially an American-born lawyer and sports exec, he’s the fifth person to ever hold the title of sports league commissioner and the current one as of 2014.
He’s been in the world of law and politics ever since he was a young college graduate fresh out of Duke with a bachelor of arts in political science.
He worked as a legislative aid and then decided to go back to school to complete his Doctor of Law degree from the University of Chicago.
His road to NBA commissioner was an influential one, so it made sense he would end up taking over the league commissioner position.
He first became a part of the association in 2006 when he began working as the deputy commissioner and COO.
While he was there, he played a big part in developing the WNBA and NBA China.
He took over for former commissioner David Stern who personally made sure to endorse Silver as his replacement.
What’s a sports league’s commissioner?
If you’re reading this article, then it’s likely you’re already familiar with the response to this question.
But if for some reason, you stumbled upon our little slice of the internet but have absolutely no idea what a sports league’s commissioner does, then allow us to enlighten you.
The NBA sports commissioner is the equivalent of a company’s CEO.
Their job is to run the association and communicate with TV channels, arrange game schedules, organize the referees, and negotiate high-value contracts.
Also, part of their job is to discipline everyone from players to coaches and managers.
A commissioner is chosen via a popular vote from different team owners, and being endorsed by the previous commissioner is a great vote of confidence.
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Biggest NBA scandals
While having your last name appear on the periodic table doesn’t really qualify as a scandal, the world of sports does have quite a few memorable moments that do fall under that category. And the NBA is no exception.
Check out some of the association’s biggest hush-hush moments below:
- Murder trials. The silver lining of this one is that it wasn’t intentional murder, but someone did get shot nonetheless. In 2002, Jayson Williams accidentally shot and killed his driver while playing with his guns. This wasn’t the first time he had been caught almost shooting someone while unsafety handling his firearms, but it was the first time someone ended up dying. He was tried and pled guilty in 2010. He served 24 months in prison due to the jury not being able to make a unanimous decision on his guilt.
- Drug overdoses. Len Bias tragically passed away in 1986 due to a drug overdose that took the 22-year-old way too soon. He had made his way to a party on the University of Maryland campus, where he took high amounts of cocaine. Sadly, Len never even got to play a single game of his professional career. Over 11,000 people made their way to his memorial service to honor the young man. He’s survived by his parents and siblings.
- Domestic abuse. Jason Kidd is an incredible basketball player, there’s no doubt about that. He’s been inducted into the popular list of basketball legends thanks to his ability to show off his skills on the court. But, his skills don’t seem to include his ability to be a good family man. He was arrested in 2001 for assaulting his wife – a charge he pled guilty to.
- Gun violence. Gilbert Arenas was one of the Washington Wizard’s biggest stars to ever hit the court. Maybe the fame had gotten to his head the day he decided to bring a loaded gun to the Verizon Center stadium before a game in December 2009. Reportedly, he had decided to get in the middle of a fight between two other players. One from his own team, and another from the Phoenix Suns. Someone threatened to kill someone else, supposedly as a joke, both sides got riled up, and guns were brought into play. It ended with both players getting suspended for the rest of the season. Moral of the story? Don’t bring guns to work.
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