Stern spoke last week as the NBA cracked opened the doors of its "Rookie Transition Program" for the first time and gave 48 Hours Investigates an exclusive look inside. Since 1986, every rookie, including Kobe Bryant, has been required to attend the 6-day program -- a crash course on the high-profile, high-risk life of an NBA player.
The program is all business: 12 hours of classes a day, and players are not allowed to leave or have visitors.
The NBA also requires rookies to attend classes that they would not let us see on subjects such as Gambling, Felony Situations, Drugs and Alcohol, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Health. The goal of these classes seems clear --help players stay out of trouble, which in turn helps the NBA protect its investment, and its image.
"We want them to know that they're going to be defined in the media by their weakest moment," says Stern. "And we're here to remind you that those decisions can have horrific consequences for you and the league."
"What Rookie Transition does is try to expand guys' horizons. There are always people out there who want to get in their pocket. There's always lovely ladies that might have another agenda," says NBA Hall of Famer Bob Lanier.
His message was direct: players are targets.
"They have to be careful about that. So what we try to do is to raise the awareness level, so they can have a basic understanding of things that can be coming at them," says Lanier.
