Adam Silver, born on April 25, 1962, in Rye, New York, is an American lawyer and sports executive who has served as the fifth commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since February 1, 2014. He succeeded David Stern after previously holding the positions of chief operating officer and deputy commissioner. Silver earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Duke University in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1988. He began his career as an associate at the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, specializing in litigation and media law, before joining the NBA in 1992 as vice president of NBA Properties. Over his tenure, he has overseen league operations, media deals, global expansion, labor relations, and initiatives in player welfare, diversity, and technological innovation, navigating challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice issues while securing landmark partnerships in markets like China and Europe.