By Sam Amico

A STERN MESSAGE

David Stern has been NBA commissioner for nearly two decades, and a lot of you still aren't sure what to make of him.

Most of you sent e-mails with the following theme -- Stern has a great marketing mind, but almost to a fault. Most of you claim Stern has placed individuals over the idea of team, all but eliminating the die-hard pro basketball fan.

"David Stern and his people promote players, period," writes Stan Meeker. "Not a bad idea when you have guys like Magic, Bird or Jordan. But it's a lousy idea when you don't have players who are on that level. The NBA is trying to trick us into thinking that it's not going through a down period -- but real basketball fans know better."

Meanwhile, Danny Hearst had this complaint:

"I am an African-American male who loves basketball, but I'm NOT a big fan of hip-hop. But according to David Stern and those in NBA marketing, I MUST love hip-hop if I'm young, black and care about basketball. That's like saying all auto racing fans only love country music. It's insulting the way the NBA constantly shoves some of this stuff down our throats. True, the majority of NBA players are black, but that doesn't mean the league's fans aren't diverse, or don't have a variety of interests. Everyone says that Stern is a marketing guru, but I don't see it."

Danny isn't alone in that complaint -- similar comments regarding the NBA and hip-hop were made by former agent and current analyst Len Elmore is a recent edition of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.

But before we jump into more e-mails, here are a few of my thoughts on the commissioner:

-- He IS a basketball fan, and he DOES care about the integrity of the game. That's easy to forget, because the commissioner has to cater to two types of people: 1) The die-hard pro basketball fan, and 2) the guy who's looking to spend lots of money on tickets and merchandise. There's usually a difference. Still, I think the NBA could work a little harder at remembering the people who have loved the league for forever, people who were around long before musicians started wearing classic NBA apparel in their videos.

-- Commissioner Stern has gone out of his way to make sure the league doesn't become like baseball, where only the biggest market teams have a chance. Yes, Los Angeles, New York or Chicago have been in every NBA Finals since 1990, and I don't blame fans (or players) for raising a suspicious eyebrow. But in the words of reader David Johle, "Stern has brought economic sanity to the league." That's very true, as NBA players make more money than other pro athletes, yet teams in markets such as Sacramento, Portland and Utah have all been extremely competitive within the last five years.

-- Stern has indeed gone with the idea of selling individuals over team. But remember, he also became commissioner when Bird and Magic were in their prime, then rode them into the Michael Jordan era. So it's understandable that he forced these guys on the public -- at the time, it's what the public wanted. But now, these type of breathtaking Hall-of-Famers don't exist, and the league does look sort of silly pushing Jason Kidd -- who can't shoot worth a lick -- as a 6-foot-4 Magic Johnson. At the same time, the idea is to make money through sports, and if you don't think Stern is the best ever at it, take a look at how other leagues, such as Major League Baseball and the NHL have copied his marketing tactics.

-- Finally, Stern is willing to wear a bathrobe to help sell the NBA. That's right, if you've seen the ESPN commercial with Tracy McGrady, Dan Patrick and Stern, you know what I'm talking about. To me, the fact Stern is willing to take part in the spot and have some fun gives evidence that he doesn't take himself too seriously. It shows that after all this time, he still cares about the game.

Stern knows that the NBA went through a down period, even if he didn't always admit it, or handle it very well when the topic was mentioned by reporters. But the thing I like about him is that he tries to listen to the fans and take into account what they want. Then he tries to figure out a way to accommodate the players, owners and people in it for the money, and he tries to do it without surrendering too much of the game's integrity.

David Stern ain't perfect, but he cares about pro basketball. And that's good enough for me.

MORE STERN THOUGHTS

From David Johle

"You have to give Stern credit. He took the NBA from near insolvency and turned in into arguably the world's second most popular sport (after soccer). Under his stewardship, the NBA is poised to grow globally and he has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement that gives small-market teams a chance. On the other hand, the last bargaining session left bitterness with players and their agents, and the next one could be acrimonious and brutal."

From Daniel Goldberg

"Overall, I think Stern has to be commended for his management of the league. Compared to other pro leagues, the NBA has been a model of stability and compromise on the financial and labor front. The league has also tried new rules to improve the game, and adjusted them when they didn't work. My biggest knock on the Stern administration is how it has stressed individuals and let the showy dunking portion of the game rule, overshadowing passing, defense, and rebounding in the process. The result is young men coming into the league who spent years working on their 360 dunk, but who can't sink a foul shot."

THE BUTLER WILL DO IT

Miami rookie swingman Caron Butler told ESPN.com, "Come November, I'm going to be a force to be reckoned with." If I'm a Heat fan, I'm excited about this young man's drive. I'm not particularly thrilled with his outside shot, but you can't help but admire Butler's passion.

A lot of people have written off the Heat now that fall is here (sorry, I couldn't resist). And the truth is, Miami stands very little chance of making the playoffs without Alonzo Mourning, Jimmy Jackson, or Rod Strickland.

But I still believe the Heat will be one of the more intriguing NBA stories this season, and that people will thoroughly enjoy watching young talents like Caron Butler, and one of my favorites, second-round pick Rasual Butler, develop under Pat Riley.

NUGGETS NUGGET

Seeing as how reader Craig Rudnick keeps bothering me about it ... Yes, I think Kenny Satterfield is a worthy starting point guard in Denver. Word is that the second-year player has made drastic improvements, a big reason why the team wasn't afraid to let Mark Jackson leave.

At any rate, I'm willing to bet the Nuggets hope I'm right. The only other point guards on the roster are free agent Darrick Martin, and someone named Junior Harrington, an undrafted rookie out of Division II Wingate.

Another team that won't make the playoffs, but should be fun to watch as it develops into a future winner.

NUGGETS NUGGET II

I also think Rodney White, a second-year forward, was a very underrated pickup for Denver. White will play behind Juwan Howard, who isn't expected to stay beyond this season. In other words, Howard will be a basketball tutor for White, grooming him for a starting job in two seasons.

This isn't a knock on Detroit, White's former team. I really like Pistons rookie forward Tayshaun Prince, who's the reason White was traded. Prince seems more ready to contribute right away than White -- but both should be good players in the long run.

JORDAN SPEAKS

Michael Jordan recently hinted that the Washington Wizards could still be playing June, and I believe him. Of course, so could New Jersey, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Boston, and even Orlando. But that's what makes the East so great (or, as some of you contend, not-so-great).

Anyway, I've said it before and I'll do it again -- Jordan isn't going to come off the bench for long, if at all. I expect Jordan to want to play from the beginning, even if it means moving Jerry Stackhouse to small forward.

MORE JORDAN STUFF

The Washington Post reported that Jordan has looked "very good and extremely agile" during Wizards practice so far. "He had a one-handed dunk after a steal at half-court in a scrimmage," according to the Post.

Jordan said he won't play in the preseason, but I plan to watch or listen to every NBA preseason game anyway.

In other Wizards news, newcomer Brian Cardinal reportedly has been a surprise, which will only create more of a logjam at power forward. But it's a problem coach Doug Collins wants to have.

SHAQ SPEAKS

Every media outlet in the universe has run this quote, but I'm gonna print it anyway.

When it was suggested that perhaps the answer for Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal is New Jersey center Dikembe Mutombo, Shaq told L.A. reporters, "There is no answer, and by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds, and they're planning another parade."

You gotta love it! It just goes to show that Shaq has the same championship mentality of the greats who played before him. And that proves to me that the NBA really hasn't changed that much. Guys still want titles.

SHAQ SPEAKS II

O'Neal also told reporters that he doesn't think the Sacramento Kings "have what it takes yet." He added, "They have a lot of good guys, but they have the type of guys that the older they get, their skills deteriorate. We have guys who the older they get, the better they get. Me being one. Kobe Bryant being one."

Shaq concluded with this -- "I don't think the Kings will ever have what it takes, because they don't have an answer for Kobe and they don't have an answer for me. They don't have answer for Phil (Jackson), and they don't have an answer for our system. One day, it's not going to be our turn. But I don't think we'll lose it to them."

Well, I think the NBA has found its new rivalry. This thing is almost as good as the Lakers-Celtics of the 1980s, and, I would argue, better than the Bulls-Knicks of the '90s.

JAY WILLIAMS SPEAKS (FOOLISHLY)

Upon seeing Michael Jordan in a recent ad for the Chicago Bulls, rookie point guard Jay Williams told reporters, "It means something that you have great tradition, but I don't think there is any shadow of Michael Jordan (in Chicago) anymore. I think Chicago is kind of past that. This isn't Michael Jordan's team."

OK. First of all, Jay Williams went to Duke, which means Jordan would already want to post him up. Secondly, Jordan has no bigger enemy than Jerry Krause and the Bulls. Thirdly, Jay Williams could have went to South Dakota Tech and Jordan would still be looking to destroy him and his team after those comments.

So two words for Jay Williams to think about before he suits up against the Wizards -- fake injury.

And who said NBA rivalries were dead?

SORRY, MARBURY

Jim Elliott e-mailed the following correction :

"In your last Amico Report, you told fellow reader Daniel Knauser that Stephon Marbury is 'the same age as Kobe Bryant.' But Marbury was born Feb. 20, 1977, meaning he'll be 26 in February. Bryant, meanwhile, just turned 24. He was born on Aug. 23, 1978. I learned this from NBA.com, which isn't a site that carries this newsletter. Gee, I wonder why."

Dear Jim, thanks for the correction. I like you because you sound a lot like me -- someone who's in desperate need of a life. God bless.

SAM'S SLAMS

Sorry, I ran out of time, but I promise to get to your questions next week. Keep them coming! ... I am gonna love watching John Stockton and Mark Jackson in the Utah backcourt together. Love it. ... Boston forward Vin Baker paid teammate Kedrick Brown $10,000 to get Brown to give up No. 42. Hey, whoever said Baker's not passionate? ... Portland coach Maurice Cheeks says he'll sometimes employ a frontcourt of Arvydas Sabonis, Dale Davis and Rasheed Wallace. As they say in West Virginia, that's a big un. ... Enjoy the preseason, and don't forget, my NBA team-by-team capsules will be delivered to your e-mails the week before the season.

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!