Houston ? David Stern is happy to be talking basketball as the NBA gathers for its All-Star weekend.

After what he had to deal with last year at this time, the commissioner knows the alternative can be a real drag.

“It beats getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick,” Stern said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday.

Stern referred to All-Star weekend as a “celebration,” but there wasn’t nearly as much joy around the game a year ago. That was a particularly tough time for Stern and the league, just three months after the brawl between Indiana Pacers players and fans in Detroit, and months before the collective-bargaining agreement was set to expire.

“Last year we were going in post-Detroit. (It) wasn’t a lot of fun to contemplate,” Stern said. “The year before we went in sort of post-Olympics and potentially pre-lockout, so there have been issues and there are always issues. The reality is if there’s nothing to write about, you guys have to find something to write about anyway.”

Following the brawl, Stern made it a point to improve the image of the NBA players. A dress code was introduced this season, mandating that players dress in “business casual” attire when conducting league business. Players sitting on the bench who aren’t in uniform are required to wear a sports jacket.

After a few early objections, there has been little criticism of the rule.

Even the one big potential headache that brought a reminder of the brawl passed fairly quickly. Antonio Davis was suspended five games for going into the stands in a game at Chicago, but there was little outrage toward him because he was calm and seemed to be going to support his wife.

“We haven’t had excessive fisticuffs. These are things that commissioners worry about,” Stern said. “And truth be told, our player reputation in the testing that we do is rebounding quite well from a year ago.”

Stern reiterated that he had little concern about bringing next season’s All-Star weekend to Las Vegas, despite the recent gambling ring that the wife of former NHL star Wayne Gretzky was linked to.