But there have been along with all of the horror and all of the sadness and all of the difficulties.

There have obviously been wonderful and rewarding things.

So as you look back on this year, what would you say has been the most rewarding part of it for you?

One of the most rewarding things for me is in the middle of all this.

My wife and I had another baby, so we had a new daughter in the middle of all this.

So that's clearly top of my list.

But I would say from a larger standpoint, there's been a coming together of the Li Um you know, of course, the the teams are killer competitors on the floor, but they're all partners in the overall enterprise and saying, You know, together with the players And I'd say, You know, we to me we had a very good relationship with Michelle Roberts, executive director of the Players Association.

I mentioned Chris Paul before and and the players generally going into the pandemic, but what you know what was sort of to me heartwarming in many ways is that the community really came together once we had shut down.

I mean, we quickly turned to what it would mean to restart.

You know, as I've said before, it's it's fairly straightforward, decided to shut down.

The really complicated part is can you find a safe and healthy way to continue?

And I think, you know, a few weeks after we shut down and had an opportunity to better understand what was happening, Um, that was the first time this this so called bubble concept was introduced and which which ultimately, obviously we moved to in Orlando and we started the season with 22 teams.

But it required enormous compliment, you know, enormous sacrifices and compromises from everyone, obviously the players agreeing to live on that campus.

For those teams that went to the finals, it was a full three months, largely away from their families, you know, and friends that we needed the teams to agree to modify formats to finish the regular season.

We needed financial investments from the teams in order to pull this off a great partnership at Disney and their willingness to do it.

And I think in many ways we saw the best of people during the most difficult of times and I think that's continued, you know, largely into this season.

Of course, it doesn't mean that everyone agrees with everything that we do, even within the NBA community.

But I think largely it's been coming together.

You know of everyone who's involved in operating NBA basketball, and I'm particularly proud of the fact that collectively we have a we have found a way healthy and safe way to continue operating an appropriate balance of, you know, the health of everyone involved and the economics, frankly, and I haven't shied away from that.

I mean, there's an economic crisis in this country as well, and it's it's absolutely meaningful not just for the players and the coaches to have that ability to work.

But there are thousands and thousands of jobs that are dependent on the NBA's ability to operate.

Adam Silver is with me here and so again the one year anniversary of all of that.

I have a limited time here, so let me get a couple of things and quickly if I can.

We've been talking here a little bit about um as far as the way the game itself has played in the proliferation of three point shots as a result of analytics and and the concern that some people have that that is becoming too prominent.

Daryl Morey, of all people who sort of began this revolution, has voiced that.

I just wonder what if any, conversations have been had relative to that, and whether it is, it is viewed as something that is a concern.

It I wouldn't say it rises to the level of concerned.

I mean, I actually am really enjoying the game aesthetically, right now.

I've been a lifelong fan.

I've been with the league for over 30 years and I think we're seeing some incredible basketball.

Having said that, Um, we're constantly looking at tinkering at the game.

We've moved the three point line.

As you recall, we moved it in once.

Then we moved it back out and we moved into a slightly different places on the floor.

I think as the as the caliber of the shooting has gotten better.

I mean, you know, you know, Bob Cousy said to me last year of all people, like he said, fans today don't understand the skill level of these players.

What they're doing by shooting from that length on the floor with the kind of accuracy they do.

Having said that, you want a diverse game and I think you recall Mike my early days in the league, everyone used to complain there was too much dunking and that and that.

We had a lot of, you know, a lot of great athletes in the league, but they were skilled in the way that you see a lot of these players now.

So are we at the right balance?

I'm sure there may be some adjustments we can make.

I mean, I think again, there's so much great about the game right now, but the three point line in particular, something we'll continue to look at.

Okay, Yeah, That's something we've talked about here.

And perhaps at a later time when we have more time, we can do a little bit more in depth.

One more thing quickly, Commissioner, before I let you go again, Adam Silver is with me.

I saw that literally moments before you came on the air with me.

You released a statement and made an announcement relative to the NBA investigation into the anti Semitic slur that Meyers Leonard of the Heat uttered during a recent video game that was live streamed.

I'm sure many people have not seen that, could you, uh, if you would just share what decisions the league has reached and the thoughts that you shared?

Absolutely.

So Meyers Leonard said, something that was picked up on Twitch while he was engaged in an online video game and and somebody recorded it and put it out on social media.

And I only say that as part of our investigation, of course, we interview the player.

And the fact that or not as to whether a player is contrite and remorseful, is an important factor for the league.

I think in this case, Myers was incredibly remorseful.

In fact, he's already met with the Anti Defamation Defamation League.

He did that yesterday.

He is going to be, You know, it's not even something that that we had to mandate because he volunteered it, that he would, um, participate in some sort of diversity, um, program.

So he better understood these issues.

I think he clearly I accept his word that he didn't understand the import of what he was saying and and and he's paying a price for it and that's what we announced that he's being fined $50,000 which happens to be my the limit of my authority for an act like that.

But he's people may know he's injured.

He got injured earlier this season, so he's out right now.

So it obviously isn't all that meaningful to suspend him from a game right now.

So we made a decision to, in essence, suspend him from engaging in team activities, are being at the practice facility for a week and then so and then.

Plus he's going to agree to the training, so I think that's appropriate in this case.

I do think he's absolutely genuinely remorseful.

It's something you never want to see in professional sports or anywhere in society, and I think it's important that when these incidents do happen, we talk about them and we talk about how hurtful those kinds of words can be for people in our society.