The union of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat has coincided with an increase in television viewership and the general popularity of the NBA.

Stern was asked if the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement will jeopardize that success since it will be difficult for the Heat to keep their team in tact while paying a punitive luxury tax.

"Yeah, as a promoter, absolutely," said Stern about keeping the Heat together. "But there are 29 other bosses I have that think it's a great system. And other than the Heat and South Florida media, our league owners think this is a great idea. Because we have owners who want very much to compete.  And they want to be able to tell their fans they can compete.

"So despite the fact as a promoter, I know the Heat have done a great job. They've put together a great roster. They put together perhaps a team for the ages. It has consequences that they are now dealing with, and actually they're much less harsh than the consequences that would have followed had we gotten what we really wanted in the collective bargaining."