NEW YORK -- Adam Silver has become the NBAs fifth commissioner. The NBA posted a picture on its Twitter account Saturday of Silver holding a basketball and shaking hands with outgoing commissioner David Stern. "Its official: Adam Silver succeeds David Stern as NBA Commissioner" the caption read. Stern retired after exactly 30 years in charge, making him the NBAs longest-serving and most successful commissioner. Silver joined the NBA as his assistant in 1992 and has been the deputy commissioner since 2006. "It is a source of great satisfaction to me that the NBA will now be led by Commissioner Adam Silver, for whom I have tremendous admiration, respect and expectations as he and his experienced and dedicated team take the NBA to successes that were unimaginable even a short while ago," Stern wrote Friday in a thank you email to media members. Stern announced he would retire on Oct. 25, 2012, and owners unanimously chose Silver as his successor. The NBA will now begin using balls with Silvers signature in games. Like Stern, Silver left the legal field to join the NBA. Originally Sterns special assistant, he went on to become NBA Chief of Staff before running NBA Entertainment for about a decade before replacing Russ Granik as deputy commissioner in 2006. Silver was the leagues lead negotiator during the 2011 collective bargaining negotiations and seemed to be more Sterns partner than deputy in recent years. "Its been Davids show. Even up to the last meeting. But there has never been a question whether Adam was involved in every important decision," Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote in an email. The leagues owners unanimously approved longtime league executive Mark Tatums appointment as deputy commissioner this week. Stan Smith Shoes Canada . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. y-3 Shoes Canada . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. http://www.nmdshoescanada.com/nmd-xr1-ch...nada/white.html. Olsen, who is 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, can play either centre or guard. The 25-year-old Olsen played 16 games and made four starts in 2012 with the New Orleans Saints. NMD CS2 Canada . In a pregame tribute commemorating his final contest at Coors Field on Wednesday night, Helton caught the ceremonial first pitch from his daughter with his wife, younger daughter and good friend Peyton Manning watching from the field. Ultra Boost Canada Sale . A last-minute leveler ensured the two-time defending champion remained nine points ahead of Roma, which drew 0-0 at bitter rival Lazio in the capital derby.TORONTO -- Former MLS player Herculez Gomez marked the release of the leagues salary list with a tweet and a telling hashtag. "So MLS salaries were published today. Never an easy day for anyone, very uncomfortable for all. Low or high paid. .ElephantInRoom." While salary transparency is part of doing business in North American sports, it is rare in the soccer world outside of MLS. But here, they are released by the Major Soccer League Players Union. The pay discrepancy between the stars and grunts is especially striking in MLS, where a few elite are paid outside the salary cap. The rest make do in a league that holds most of the cards when it comes to salary negotiations and free agency. At his current annual salary of $48,825 (all figures in U.S. dollars), it would take defender Mark Bloom four years ($195,300) to make what Toronto FC teammate Michael Bradley makes in one game ($191,176). Bloom, a well-spoken 26-year-old who has started all four of Torontos games this season, is not about to make waves on the subject. "It really doesnt mean much to me," he said after practice Friday "Im going to come here and do what I always do, just work hard as, work as hard as I can, improve myself day in and day out. "Those figures, you cant read too much into these. You get worried about the business side of it, then your heads going to be out of the game. So Im just focusing on whats going in on the field." Did you look at the salary figures, he was asked. "I did. Of course," he replied with a smile. "Theres a pretty wide gap. You can see that every player is pretty much underpaid," he added when pressed. "Hopefully that will get fixed and that will be addressed." Bloom joined Toronto last year after playing his way out of the minor leagues. Ironically he got his chance to start late last season when the club elected to bench English fullback Richard Eckersley, who was on the way out because of his high contract number. Bloom made $46,500 last season, about one-tenth of Eckersleys pay.dddddddddddd Manager Ryan Nelsen acknowledges the difference in pay scale can cause problems within the locker-room when the numbers are revealed. "It does if youve got bad characters. Definitely," he said. "If youve got guys who are insecure about themselves or a wee bit jealous, yeah. A lot of teams have a lot of problems with that. "Fortunately, nobody can argue what Michael Bradleys done in his career or Jermain Defoes done in his career. And anybody who questions the difference, I just say Well go and do that. Then you can go and ask for that money." But Nelsen agrees salaries need to be raised at the bottom end. "I think they will address that," he said of MLS. Nelsen says he has been in both camps, making $24,000 as an MLS rookie in 2001 and then watching his pay grow as an English Premier League veteran. "Youve got to earn it," he said. "I always think that the market determines what you get paid. And those guys at the lower end, if they perform well, they get paid better. Its just a matter of time" Under MLS rules, a first-team roster is comprised of up to 30 players with players occupying roster spots 1-20 counting against the clubs 2014 salary cap of $3.1 million. Players occupying roster spots 1-24 must earn at least $48,500 this year while the minimum for roster spots 25-30 is $36,500. Bradley is one of three TFC designated players, meaning only $387,500 of his US$6.5-million salary counts against the cap. Bloom, whose wife is expecting their first child, did note that players who play well do get pay bumps. Just look at 21-year-old Toronto midfielder Jonathan Osorio who, after becoming a starter as a rookie last year, went to $142,600 this season from $46,500. Osorio says Bradley and fellow DPs Defoe ($6.18 million) and Gilberto ($1.2 million) have fit in smoothly. "Theyre great guys. Theyre not egotistical, noting like that," he said. "And (Brazil goalkeeper) Julio Cesar is a tremendous guy too." ' ' '