Friends of former NBA Commissioner David Stern are urging him to run for mayor in 2017, now that Mayor de Blasio is looking less likely to be re-elected to a second term.
Stern, a lifelong Democrat who has regularly contributed to the party, will be retired for two years in February.
“He’s pretty bored,” said one source. “He’s always been interested in politics, and he’s always been interested in running for office.”
Stern is an associate at the Council on Foreign Relations. Of $311,400 Stern has given to Democrats, $5,000 went to President Obama in 2012, and $30,800, the legal max, went to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2011. Not a cent went to Republicans.
A native New Yorker, Stern was a lawyer before becoming the longest-serving commissioner in professional sports, serving 30 years.
After instituting drug testing and the salary cap, Stern transformed the NBA into a global marketing force.
“He’s tough as nails. He’s popular with the black community,” said one associate. “New York would be lucky to have him as mayor.”
Stern, though “flattered,” said he is not interested in running. “I remain a happy Westchester resident and am very busy as a senior adviser to a number of enterprises.”
Other potential Democratic candidates include real estate mogul Don Peebles, NYC comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Christine Quinn, the former council speaker now working for Gov. Cuomo.