Adam Silver is one to be found often at a basketball arena around the country night in and night out.
That happens to include showing up at Duke basketball's Elite Eight game on Saturday against No. 2 seed Alabama at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The 11-year NBA Commissioner was shown on TBS's broadcast during the second half of the Blue Devils' eventual 85-65 win over the Crimson Tide.
Adam Silver watches college basketball #TheAlliancepic.twitter.com/YU9W5bxbsH
— Cole Adams (@coleadamss) March 30, 2025
With its 85-65 win on Saturday, Duke punched its ticket to the Final Four of the men's NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in program history, and the first time under Jon Scheyer.
The immediate thought for many men's college basketball fans when they first saw Silver sitting in the stands was whether he was there to watch the player who is expected to bring generational talent to his league next season in Cooper Flagg. Though that is partially true, it wasn't the only reason for Silver's appearance.
Here's what you need to on why the commissioner of the NBA was at Duke vs. Alabama on Saturday:
Why was Adam Silver at Duke-Alabama basketball game?
While it might be thought of as an NBA-related business trip for Silver — who will welcome several of the Blue Devils and Crimson Tide players into the NBA later this summer at the NBA draft — that wasn't the exact reason for his presence inside the Prudential Center on Saturday.
Instead, he was there to root on his alma mater against Alabama. He was also there as the chair of Duke's Board of Trustees, a position that he was appointed to in February 2024. He was first appointed to Duke Board of Trustees in 2015.
"It is an honor to serve as the next chair of Duke’s Board of Trustees," Silver said ...
