NEW YORK — Former NBA Deputy Commissioner and Players Association executive director Simon Gourdine has passed away at the age of 72. Gourdine joined the NBA in 1970, and was named deputy commissioner in 1974, becoming the highest ranking African- American executive in sports at the time. In 1976, Gourdine was part of the landmark collective bargaining negotiations that created the NBA’s first free agency system, an agreement that also saw the NBA absorb four ABA franchises — the Spurs, Pacers, Nuggets and Nets. NBA