OKLAHOMA CITY – David Stern is pushing 70, tired, irritable and still surrounded with no one to tell him the truth. For all the young diva stars in the sport, no one has an entourage of yes men as deep as the NBA's commissioner. Rest assured, everyone told Stern how out of line Jim Rome was on Wednesday, that Stern’s public tantrum was validated, that Stern justifiably defended his honor. Rest assured, no one dared tell the commissioner he needed to put the NBA above himself, stop the preening and let Kevin Durant and LeBron James be the stars of these Finals.
No one dares tell Stern the ultimate truth that his ego, his vindictiveness, is an embarrassment to the league.

That wasn’t about Stern’s honor, his reputation or defending his good name on Rome’s radio show. If Stern can’t handle a line of questioning on the draft lottery without resorting to personal insults, he shouldn’t sit for the interviews. In a lockout year, everyone has had too much Stern. Just ease back, let the Finals speak for itself and stop thrusting yourself into these predicaments.

Stern's office demands that kind of discipline from him because this is no time of the year for the commissioner to turn into a sideshow gone viral. Of course, Stern has always believed himself to be bigger than the office, bigger than the sport. The NBA’s never known a diva like him, and the owners will make sure it never does again...