NBA notebook: Band on uniforms to honor Stern

[January 04, 2020]  NBA players and referees will wear a commemorative black band on their uniforms honoring former commissioner David Stern, who died Wednesday.

The league said Friday the bands will be worn throughout the rest of the 2019-20 season, including the playoffs.

Stern, 77, suffered a brain hemorrhage on Dec. 12 and collapsed at a New York City restaurant. He was NBA commissioner from 1984-2014 and greatly increased the stature of the league during his tenure. Longtime lieutenant Adam Silver replaced Stern as commissioner.

"David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world," Silver said in a statement. "Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand -- making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation."

--Boston Celtics star guard Kemba Walker missed their home game against the Atlanta Hawks because of the flu, according to head coach Brad Stevens.

It is just the second game Walker has missed this season. The other one was on Nov. 25, three days after suffering a neck injury in a road game against the Denver Nuggets.

Walker is averaging 22.5 points and 5.2 assists in his first season with Boston. The three-time All-Star spent his first eight NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.

--Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert is expected to play Saturday against the Toronto Raptors after missing 24 games following right thumb surgery.

NBA Commissioner David Stern holds a news conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball playoff in Miami, Florida June 6, 2013. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity/File Photo

"I feel good, my body feels good, so I can't wait to get out there and help the team," LeVert told reporters before the Nets' 123-111 loss at the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. LeVert, 25, last played on Nov. 10 in Phoenix.

In nine games (all starts) this season, LeVert has averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 31.6 minutes per contest. The scoring and rebounding averages represent career highs for the fourth-year player, a 2016 first-round pick from Michigan.

--The Brooklyn Nets waived injured swingman David Nwaba, two weeks after he was lost for the season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

Nwaba, 26, played in 20 games with the Nets this season, averaging 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds. He was signed as a free agent in July.

Undrafted out of Cal Poly, Nwaba has played with four teams in his four NBA seasons, also spending time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. In 161 career games (37 starts), Nwaba has averaged 6.9 points with 3.7 rebounds. He did not start a game for the Nets this season.

--Field Level Media

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