Latest News, NBA / Dec 4, 2009 / 3:18 pm

We Got Next: David Stern Believes A Woman Will Soon Play In The NBA

Diana Taurasi

In an article on SI.com, David Stern told a reporter that he thinks it’s possible that a woman will play in the NBA within the next 10 years. Sports Illustrated asked the commissioner whether we might see a woman playing NBA basketball within the next decade. “I think we might,” said Stern. “I don’t want to get into all kinds of arguments with players and coaches about the likelihood. But I really think it’s a good possibility.”

The article also talks about what kind of media and marketing impact breaking such a barrier would have. It also challenged whether the NBA would be too physical for a female athlete and whether NBA players would respect her or not.

Do you guys think a female could play in the NBA?

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  • cesar

    taurasi is 6′ , not 6’4”

  • ctkennedy

    only if its a guard with that said i dont think a player like athony carter, travis diener , grogan dragic, beno urich,and some others could go to the wnba and win the mvp either

  • Black Mamba

    This is the stupidiest thing i’ve ever heard. There is a WNBA for that bullsh*t so just because nobdy watches it doesn’t mean bring them to the nba. broes before hoes this is man sport just look pretty and cheer ok women and make me a sandwhich no mayo

  • ejay

    I think one day females will be playing in the NBA. Why not? I mean…. Andrea Bargniai is playing in the NBA isnt he?

  • Mike C

    @ Mike post 14…
    Of course that’s what he is supposed to say. This whole topic is a fucking joke.

  • Urban

    I’m suprised by the overall negetivity towards women in this article. Yes, women are built differently. They are NOT physicly inferior. I think that’s a stigma society has created, but in all actualtity women can in fact take more physical punishment that men. Their are plenty of women stronger than many of the men in the NBA, or at least ave bigger arms than Iverson/Durant. And I bet not one person on this post could compete in the WNBA. That said, women do have several disadvantages in how they are built in competing in the NBA, but thay have things that could help too, such as better recovery times, and long term endurance. And in the forseeable future, if a women could overcome her shortcomings (ie hieght/quickness), and use her strengths, she could make the NBA. Although just having a WNBA prevents that. Who knows how long that league will last.

  • Tino

    I’d bet if a woman is in the NBA 10 years from now, and Shawn Bradley was still in the L, she would dunk on him.

  • http://www.in-n-outnba.blogspot.com Lucas

    That’s funny that LeBron disagreed with this http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4715078

  • http://www.in-n-outnba.blogspot.com Lucas

    Oh and all i gotta say is: Britany Griner on Baylor

  • JD

    Is it because WNBA players are half-men (now) anyway? lol

    well, as manly as they look – they’re still women, and imagine how many more foul would be called out during games if this ever gonna happen!!

  • MarkRappaport

    Diana Taurasi could play in the NBA, no doubt about it. She has the strength, speed, and skills to compete and be a starter on any NBA team. Look, if little squirts like Earl Boykins, Spud Webb, and Muggsy Bougues can play in the NBA, then Taurasi would have no problem.

  • diamond blunt

    i think that is the dumbest idea he has ever thought up? how will the players play hard? it sounds like a bunch a laziness , cutbacks on expenses and alot of just dave benefiting cause us as fans dont ever want to see that it wouldnt be fun to watch anymore, i for one would stop watching the sport all together

  • diamond blunt

    daid stern was high when he said that

  • AJ

    It would be pretty damn funny for the commentator to say “Lebron with the facial over Taurausi”.

  • Chris

    Who’s the better athlete, Steve Kerr or Candace Parker? Steve Kerr said he never once could dunk. It will take a shooting specialist with phenomenal athletic ability, but it could happen.

  • Bron42 aka Had Springs before slamball

    @urban, your crazy, we are not just talking weight lifter strength. Overall ability. Example, Carson from the new York liberty balls with us and she’s a good 6’3 and while she could hold her own against the like dads at the gym, once any guy with actual ball exeperince comes and plays her serious it’s not even close. She suddenly looks average and you wouldn’t even know she was in the NBA. Candace and Diana would get dunked on and bodied allll day. The only idea that would work is the shooting specialist idea to just spot up but get destroyed on D. But like someone said it would just be a stunt cuz there’s plenty of guys who could do it even better.

    @mark, boykins can bench 300+lbs and even he is only in the league on and off. Plus both him and mugsy are 12 times faster than turasi. I’m not sayin a girl wouldn’t be able to hit a shot at some point but to be a consistant role player? Please? She would be such a defensive liability no coach could risk it. It would be like a weaker slower Steve Nash guardin someone.

  • DK

    Maya Moore can hoop tho… I’m just sayin.

  • biggerLIZARD

    Three quick points
    1. What is Stern actually arguing?
    He argues that women could have a role on an nba team. He is not arguing that there could be a female player who could match up against the premier power players of the league. He’s arguing that they could concievably play in the guard positions as change of pace players.

    2. Are women inferior atheletes to men?
    This is half truth. What we know about genetics says, “The average man is significantly more likely to be stronger than the average woman.” This is a fact. But genetics offers a spectrum for human development. There are upward limits, again with men peaking higher but it is a range not a rule. This is why the fastest men in the world are faster then the fastest women in the world. But it’s not by a tremendous margin, a second or so. Courtesy of genetic variation, a large sample size, and appropriate physical training you can have a female athelete physically of playing in the nba.

    In summation, you guys really think that it’s not possible for a woman player to match the lateral movement, defensive intensity, and court vision of Damon Jones? Really? I think you’re all lying to yourselves.

    3. Is the culture of the NBA ready to accept a female player?
    This is the real question. And I think the question is would there be an organization strong, smart, and forward minded enough to do so. And would the rest of the league let it happen. My guess is no.

  • James Blackburn

    heck no- no way- never

  • http://www.bouncemag.com 40 CAL bouncemag.com

    I think David Stern just proved he needs to hang it up!

  • http://www.bouncemag.com 40 CAL bouncemag.com

    Next thing you know the next NBA fad will be Air Tea Bagging!

  • Rich

    It could work for the right position. I could see a woman playing PG or SG.

  • bola

    wake up d. stern! this ain’t WWE where women could hang with the “tough” steroid- drinking actors..the closest the nba in having a women in the court was when amaechi was playing and varejao and vujacic are on court.. lousy bitches

  • Borgs

    I like the idea and so did Ruben Patterson. He even thought he’d spotted the very person likely to break the gender barrier as a precocious youngster in a Seattle shopping mall several years ago. He took her under his wing, hoping to mentor her all the way to the Rockets’ backcourt via the late second round. Alas, it didn’t work out; the Rockets went with Brent Barry, the girl with an exceptionally competent lawyer.

  • S-SiN

    Hey! And how about a male playing in WNBA within the next 10 years? Ever thought about that?

  • ha

    ASDFASDFADF

  • Joseph

    Come on have you guys watched Jason Kapono? I could totally see a female Jason Kapono or Earl Boykins

  • http://www.WhyCandaceWhySheldon.thatbastard.com Chicagorilla

    I love to watch womens basketball and I have argued that several of the womens college players could probably play major college ball right now. Mya Moore being the most noticeable. I also thought Ivory Latta could play D1 ball…maybe not major but for a mid-major sure. It’s not all about speed and jumping or muscle, some of the women have very high basketball IQ’s. And when they are challeneged at a higher level on a consistant basis, i think a player like Mya Moore could do some things on the D-1 level.

    That being said, I don’t want to see a woman in the NBa, that’s why we have the WNBA. I want to see a woman dominate the WNBA first… And I’m talking DOMINATE, like Wilt Chamberline or Mike Jordan. Once that happens, then I would like to see her try the NBA.

    Stern is out his f^king mind though, he needs to be replaced. He’s trying his best to ruin the game of basketball. The NBA is starting to really look like WWE and he is starting to resemble a one Mr. Mchman.

  • RC

    David Stern = birdbrain

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