What makes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver an ideal candidate to replace Disney CEO Bob Iger
As the imminent retirement of Disney CEO Bob Iger draws near, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stands out as an interesting candidate among the short list of candidates to replace him.
Since replacing David Stern on February 1, 2014, Silver has run the NBA as its commissioner for nine years, with his current contract coming to a close by the end of 2024. He oversees the following sports leagues: NBA, WNBA, NBA G-League, NBA 2K League, and Basketball Africa League.
With Disney's stock price declining over the past year and struggles in theme parks and entertainment mediums amidst recovery from the pandemic, Iger also underwent a proxy battle with activist investor Nelson Peltz.
Peltz is the founder of Trian Fund Management and holds $900 million in Disney shares. He initiated a proxy battle against Iger with his demand for a seat on the board and believes he could play a huge role in bringing Disney back into a steady position after what he sees as questionable leadership from Iger.
After Iger finally announced a proper restructuring of Disney, along with his retirement in two years, the proxy battle was called off by Nelson Peltz.
SCOOP: Media execs say @Disney has unofficial short list of internal/external candidates to replace @RobertIger includes @NBA commish Adam Silver @KevinMayer $DIS Entertainment's Dana Walden. Silver suggests $DIS having second thoughts about ditching @espn 345pm @FoxBusiness
Adam Silver's relationship with Disney CEO Bob Iger
Adam Silver remains in a strong relationship with Disney and Iger through the NBA's partnership with ESPN, Disney's cable sports network.
From being NBA Entertainment's president and chief operating officer to the league's commissioner, Silver has generated $10 billion in revenue annually. Managing the NBA on a professional, profitable, and consistent basis is no easy feat to accomplish on a daily basis.
Silver's imprint on the NBA
Besides the strong relationship between Silver and Iger, the former has made it clear that the NBA will be more than just basketball entertainment and take political and social issues seriously.
Silver had a hand in banning former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling after the latter's racist comments went viral. It was a huge step for the NBA in taking a progressive approach to such situations and giving players space to be heard.
He also decided to move the 2017 All-Star Weekend from Charlotte to New Orleans, as the league objected to North Carolina House Bill 2 and its stance on anti-discrimination acts and lawsuits.
.@NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made a good decision to move the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
Silver's Orlando Bubble project also made headlines as the NBA was able to finish its season when the pandemic arrived. Simultaneously, he used the sport as a progressive platform to stand strong alongside the Black Lives Matter movement.
Silver's progressive branding of the NBA as the league's commissioner bodes well for him being a strong candidate to replace Iger's position as Disney's CEO.
Adam Silver on a post-pandemic NBA: "We're looking forward to something close to the normal we're familiar with. We're already seeing some of that already."
Post-pandemic, Adam Silver managed to find a way to maintain the NBA product in a profitable state through partnerships with cable networks during the broadcast of their games, along with strong merchandise and ticket sales.
Adam Silver's competition for Disney CEO position
Other than Adam Silver, there are some other notable contenders in strong consideration for the position. Dana Walden, Disney's entertainment co-chair, was responsible for launching Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu+. Kevin Mayer is a former Disney executive who was once the CEO of Fox Television Group and has worked for 21st Century Fox for 25 years.