Roger didn't want to announce his retirement initially because he didn't want the team to be distracted.
But with Woj's revelations and the silence from Roger's team, it almost became an open secret.
Yet the Warriors were not affected by it.
So Roger decided to publicly announce the news directly, as it aligned better with Reebok's promotional needs. Previously, they refrained from seizing this promotional opportunity out of respect for Roger's wishes, but once Roger's final season was no longer a secret, they saw no reason not to candidly acknowledge and cooperate with Reebok's commercial interests.
David Stern surely adored Roger.
Because his statement made the 2008 NBA All-Star game a focal point of attention, potentially becoming the highest-rated All-Star game of the 21st century, as no one would want to miss Roger's last All-Star appearance.
But David Stern was also saddened.
