NEW YORK -- His name is already on the ball. Now Adam Silver can put his stamp on the NBA. On All-Star Saturday in New Orleans, Silver will deliver his first state of the league press conference as commissioner, a chance to tell a worldwide viewing audience how he plans to make the NBA bigger and better than it was under David Stern. Dont expect anything major. After working so closely with Stern during his 22 years at the league, Silvers fingerprints were already all over the $5.5 billion business long before he became in charge of it 10 days ago. "Im not coming in with a five-point plan," Silver told The Associated Press during an interview in his office at NBA headquarters. "Im not an outsider coming into the league. Ive been part of this league for a long time and if there was something that I thought shouldve been done markedly different than the way its done now, I think David and I would have pushed each other to do it. "My priority is the game and thats what Ill be telling people next Saturday." He has been at the NBA since 1992, overseeing the leagues entertainment empire, helping negotiate collective bargaining agreements, and on Feb. 1, he replaced Stern. He is liked by owners and respected by players, all believing Silver is the person to continue the massive growth the league saw under Stern. "Hes someone who has the same kind of feel that we have, in the sense of how can we make this pie bigger? How can we make this game bigger? Miami Heat All-Star Dwyane Wade said. "Hes going to be a good commissioner I believe. Strong in what he believes in. He was in the (CBA) meetings as well, so we know what kind of guy he is and we respect him." Silver, 51, ended up at taking Sterns old job after ignoring his advice early in his career. He laughs now when recalling the path that led to him becoming the NBA commissioner. "It never even was a consideration of working at the NBA," Silver said. "I dont think I understood what that meant. I truly stumbled into working at the NBA." Silver began his career in the legal field but was interested in transitioning to business, the same move Stern had so successfully made. So he wrote to Stern, who had worked at the same firm where Silvers father, Edward, was a lawyer. Silver had handled some media cases and was aware of Sterns accomplishments in negotiating cable TV deals. Stern gave him the number of someone to call, but the job was outside New York. Silver wasnt interested in moving, which he explained to Stern when they spoke again. "He said, Why didnt you tell me? Ive got some other ideas," Silver said. "It was happenstance," he added. "I dont think I quite understood what I was getting into at the time." He doesnt plan on changing much, insisting that he and Stern would have already made whatever changes they felt necessary. But while the NBAs international growth is frequently considered Sterns greatest achievement, Silver seems focused on boosting the games popularity in the United States. Silver has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to basketball. He attended Duke in the early 1980s before the Blue Devils became a powerhouse, when nobody camped out outside Cameron Indoor Stadium because you could just get into games with a student ID. He moved to Chicago to attend law school and began going to games with friends in the early days of Michael Jordan, before the Bulls became the biggest thing in basketball. Now Silver is following one of sports greatest commissioners. He acknowledges there will be times it will feel "lonely" without Stern there to face big decisions together, but Silver has worked so closely with Stern and been involved in so many aspects of the league that the transition should be a natural one. "Adam has been preparing for the job for a long time, he understands the business and I dont see him having much difficulty shifting into the role of commissioner," former NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter said. But Silver, designated as Sterns successor in October 2012, knows that doesnt mean it will always be easy. "I didnt have the same appreciation for what he was going through on a daily basis as the commissioner until I really thought about, What if that were I and I had to make that decision?" Silver said. "And its very different being sort of the voice in the ear of the guy making the decision as opposed to the guy making the decision." Nonetheless, he believes the league is in a good place and ready to grow. He met with executives from Facebook and Twitter while visiting Sacramento and Golden State during his first week as commissioner, seeking ways to bring the NBA to a larger audience than ever. "To me," Silver said, "the game is fantastic. 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Last July, F1 teams held in-season testing sessions at Silverstone to assess new tires provided by Pirelli after several blowouts on the same circuit at the British Grand Prix in June prompted a furious response from drivers and even a boycott threat the following week.DENVER - Kenneth Faried had 20 points and Aaron Brooks hit four straight free throws in the final 12 seconds, helping the injury-riddled Denver Nuggets hold off the Washington Wizards 105-102 on Sunday night. Randy Foye added 17 for a Nuggets team that was missing J.J. Hickson, who suffered torn ligament in his right knee on Friday. Wilson Chandler also didnt play (strained left hip) and Jan Vesely didnt return after bruising his rib cage late in the third quarter. Bradley Beal wound up with 21 points as the Wizards wrapped up a four-game road swing with a 1-3 record. Trevor Ariza scored 15 of his 18 points in the first quarter and John Wall added 15, but also had eight turnovers. Evan Fourniers floating jumper with 7:36 remaining started a 7-0 run to give the Nuggets a 91-84 lead, which they wouldnt relinquish. Wall struggled down the stretch, turning the ball over twice in the five minutes on offensive charges. But Wall had a steal and a layup with 12.6 seconds remaining to cut Denvers lead to 99-97. Brooks then stepped up to the line and hit two free throws. Beal followed with a dunk when the Nuggets fell asleep on an in-bounds pass with 10.7 seconds remaining. Brooks was then fouled and hit two more free throws to seal Denvers fifth straight home win. The Wizards led by as many as 14 points in the first half, only to squander it away. Ariza put the Wizards up 49-47 at halftime when he hit a 20-footer as the buzzer sounded. Hickson was the latest player to be lost by the Nuggets.dddddddddddd They were already without Danilo Gallinari (left ACL), JaVale McGee (broken tibia) and Nate Robinson (left ACL), who all have undergone season-ending operations. Vesely was having one of his best games of the season, before leaving the court late in the third quarter with a bruised rib cage. He had 10 points in 15 minutes. Andre Miller made his return to the Pepsi Center for the first time since New Years Day, when he got into an on-court confrontation with former coach Brian Shaw. Miller, now a backup guard with the Wizards, was originally suspended by the Nuggets, but it was later rescinded. Miller stayed away from the squad until he was dealt to the Wizards on Feb. 20. Both Miller and Shaw said before the game theyve moved on from the incident. To show it, they shook hands when Miller entered the game to start the second quarter. "Im sure both of us didnt take this personal," Shaw said. "Its unfortunate that it had to happen and neither one of us wanted that to happen but I dont have a problem with him. I have the most respect for Andre Miller." NOTES: Miller had two points in his return. ... Denvers bench scored 52 points. Darrell Arthur led the way with 15. ... Asked about the mounting injuries before the game, Shaw said: "I hope its karma in reverse and that all of the bad stuff is out of the way this year and everything will be uphill from here on out." ' ' '