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4 MAY 9, 2019
J im Drucker has a penchant for being in the right place at
the right time.

Take this meeting, for example. Drucker was sitting at
a Philadelphia 76ers game at the Spectrum in 1976. His father,
Norm, was a few decades into his career as an NBA referee, and
was one of the most respected refs in the game (to the extent that
a referee is aff orded respect).

Since Jim was young, he’d been able to follow his father to the
national Game of the Week on ABC on Sundays; once, as a little
boy, he ran to legendary Celtics’ coach Red Auerbach’s side to
let him know that ABC needed a television timeout (Auerbach
obliged). Th e fi rst time he was ever at Madison Square Garden,
one of the holy places of NBA basketball, he thought his dad
owned that place. When he blew that whistle, everyone seemed
to listen.

But back to the Spectrum. Drucker, then teaching at Temple
University as he pursued his master’s degree in law, struck up a
conversation with a man in his row. Turns out, he was a lawyer
for the NBA, and was familiar with Norm, who was a longtime
New York City public school teacher and principal before he
became a referee. Th e man asked Drucker if he ever considered
getting into the pro basketball game. Drucker bit his tongue,
knowing what a shaky business the NBA remained from his
father’s tenure.

How about this, the man said to Drucker. Th ere’s a little
something called the Eastern League, an NBA farm league that’s
nearly out of business. It could use your help. Drucker promised
he’d follow up.

Th e man was David Stern, who would go on to become the
commissioner of the NBA and lead the league to international
prominence during his tenure. Drucker, meanwhile, did so
well in his legal work for the Eastern League that he was even-
tually named commissioner; by then, it had been renamed the
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Jude Plum with Kristin D., shown wearing her wig
Continental Basketball Association. Th e values of every team
shot up, new franchises were added and a “bottom of the barrel
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league,” as Drucker put it, became a profi table business.

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Th at’s just how stories about Jim Drucker, now 66, tend to go.

Jude Plum with Kristin D., shown wearing her wig
Born in Brooklyn, he’s the son of Ukrainian immigrants who
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made it to the United States “with 12 cents in their pockets,”
according to Drucker.

“Th ey loved the U.S. and believed anything was possible,”
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he said. “Two generations later, it’s me, as part of the American
for men, women, and children
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with all types of hair loss
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meeting, Drucker said, he’d probably be teaching law some-
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environment!” and compassionate
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“It taught me how to persevere, it taught me how to market
a product, it taught me customer service, it taught me television
production,” he said. “It was just invaluable.”
821 W. W. Lancaster
Lancaster Avenue
Avenue • • Bryn
Bryn Mawr,
Mawr, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania 19010
19010 When he was done with the leading the league in 1986 821
See Comics, Page 6
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 610.527.1770
610.527.1770 610.527.1770
610.527.1770 610.527.1770
610.527.1770 821 W. Lancaster Avenue • Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010
610.527.1770 821
W. W. Lancaster
Bryn Mawr,
Pennsylvania 19010
821 821W.LancasterAve.•
Lancaster Avenue
19010 Elevator • Bryn
lobby in Mawr,
rear • Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr,PA 19010
821W. Lancaster Ave. • Elevator lobby in rear • Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
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MAY 9, 2019
5