An NBA team executive told Sports Business Journal that running the league today is increasingly challenging, noting the growth of billionaire owners with strong personalities.
“It used to be used car salesmen that owned all the effin’ teams. Now they’re all, ‘I’m a billionaire, I’m the smartest person in the room.’ They’re all Mark Cubans. There used to be one Mark Cuban; now you have 30 of them,” the executive said.
Commissioner Adam Silver has described his job as “herding cats all day long,” highlighting the difficulties of managing 30 owners with varying egos and priorities. This environment has reshaped team dynamics and league decision-making, with financial power increasingly concentrated among ultra-wealthy stakeholders.
The NBA now features some of the richest owners in sports. Steve Ballmer of the Clippers leads with an estimated net worth of $118–130 billion, while Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson each hold fortunes around $30–32 billion.
Other notable billionaires include Joe Tsai of the Nets ($12–15 billion), Ann Walton Kroenke for the Nuggets ($16–18 billion), and Robert Pera of the Grizzlies ($18–20 billion). Even mid-market teams are now controlled by multibillionaires, such as Tom Gores in Detroit ($9–10 billion) and Micky Arison in Miami ($8–10 billion).
Ownership structures vary widely, with several teams held by co-owners or family estates. The Warriors are led by Joe Lacob ($3–4 billion) alongside Peter Guber, while the Bucks are co-led by Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam, who collectively bring over $14 billion in net worth. The Trail Blazers remain under the Paul G. Allen Trust, valued at $20 billion.
The influx of wealth has fueled both competition and complexity within the league. Decisions on trades, salary cap management, and league policies now often involve negotiating among owners accustomed to being top decision-makers in their respective industries.
Despite the financial muscle, some franchises remain comparatively modest. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé holds a net worth of roughly $1 billion, while Spurs owner Peter J. Holt is estimated between $500 million and $1 billion.
Silver’s challenge remains balancing league-wide interests with the ambitions of individual billionaires, a task compounded by personalities and public visibility. As one executive put it, the NBA has moved from a league of “used car salesmen” to a league of high-powered visionaries—each acting like Mark Cuban.
