Short answers, pulled from the story.
J. Walter Kennedy was an American businessman, politician, and the second leader of the National Basketball Association, serving as president and later commissioner from 1963 to 1975. During his tenure, the NBA grew from nine teams to eighteen, income rose by 200 percent, and attendance tripled. He also secured the league's first lucrative television contract.
Kennedy served as NBA president starting in 1963 and held the position until his retirement on the 31st of May 1975. His title was formally changed from president to commissioner in 1967.
Before leading the NBA, Kennedy coached and served as athletic director at St. Basil's Preparatory School in Stamford, worked as Sports Information Director at Notre Dame, served as Public Relations Director for the Basketball Association of America, spent much of the 1950s as Publicity Director for the Harlem Globetrotters, and was elected mayor of Stamford in 1959.
The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award is an annual NBA honor given to a player or coach for outstanding service and dedication to the community. Past recipients include Julius Erving, Earvin Johnson, Bob Lanier, Reggie Miller, and Glenn Rivers.
Yes, Kennedy was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981. He also served on the Hall of Fame's Board of Trustees for 13 years, two of which he spent as the Hall's President.
Kennedy died on the 26th of June 1977 of liver failure after a brief bout with cancer, shortly after his 65th birthday. His eulogy was delivered by Howard Cosell, and his funeral was attended by Ella Grasso, Willis Reed, Larry O'Brien, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. He is buried at St. John's Cemetery in the Springdale section of Stamford, Connecticut.