The league announced that Stern, 77, suffered a brain hemorrhage and later underwent emergency surgery.

PHOTOS: David Stern through the years 

Stern’s condition has not been released.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with David and his family,” Silver said in a statement.

New York television station WABC reported that Stern was stricken at about 2 p.m. at Brasserie 8 1/2 in Midtown Manhattan.

Stern was the NBA’s commissioner from 1984 to 2014, succeeding Larry O’Brien. The league prospered greatly under Stern’s leadership as it became a global brand.