National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver, Trinity ‘84, was elected as the next chair of the Board of Trustees to begin his three-year term on July 1. He follows Laurene Sperling, Trinity ‘78, who has served as chair for the past three years.
Silver joined the Board in 2015 and currently holds the position of vice chair and member of the Executive Committee.
He is “excited to continue to work alongside [President Vincent Price] and my fellow trustees to build on the university’s long track record of success,” he told Duke Today.
On the Board, Silver served as a member of the Climate Change and Sustainability and Next Generation Living and Learning Experience task forces.
In addition to his roles on the Board, Silver remains active in the University. In May 2023, he served as commencement speaker for the graduating class. In September, he spoke on a panel hosted by the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy about the effect of sports on diplomacy and, more specifically, college athletics. He also spoke at the Duke Law School in September 2022 about the progression from his career in law to his role in the NBA.
Silver received his juris doctor from the University of Chicago in 1988 following his graduation from Duke. Silver used his law degree in the following years, clerking for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and working at the Cravath, Swaine & Moore law firm.
Silver joined the NBA in 1992, beginning as Commissioner in 2014. Prior his appointment as commissioner, Silver served as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the league.
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Michelle Brown is a Trinity junior and an editor-at-large of The Chronicle's 120th volume.