NBA Power Rankings: The 10 richest owners in the NBA
Bringing in the big bucks
The NBA is chock-full of some of the wealthiest people in the world, with some referring to them as the 'governors'.
Richest owners
The NBA may boast the richest owners in the world of sport, with tech giants, business moguls, and inherently affluent families all treating the league as their playground. All figures are from Forbes.
(10) Micky Arison, Miami Heat ($8.8 Billion)
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison built his fortune in the cruise ship business. He was the CEO of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise ship operator. The current chairman of Carnival became the majority owner of the Heat in 1995.
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Most successful period
Since he took majority ownership, Arison has overseen Miami's most successful spell in the NBA. The Heat won a championship in 2006 with Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal before winning three titles with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Wade.
(9) Joseph Tsai, Brooklyn Nets ($9.3 Billion)
Joseph Tsai co-founded Alibaba, China's most significant retail commerce business. He bought the Nets in 2019 and has struggled to find any success yet.
Trying to build a super team
Tsai oversaw the Nets when they tried to bring Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden together to form a super team. However, that failed miserably. Brooklyn is going through a rebuild with Ben Simmons as their primary operator.
(8) Tom Gores, Detroit Pistons ($9.4 Billion)
Pistons owner Tom Gores oversees more than 40 companies with around $48 billion in assets, according to TalkSport. He manages them all through his private equity firm, Platinum Equit.
Off-court moves
Gores became the majority owner of the Pistons in 2015 and has yet to bring any on-court success in the last ten years. He has built a state-of-the-art practice facility and got the Pistons arena back into downtown Detroit.
(7) Tilman Fertitta, Houston Rockets ($10.2 Billion)
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta made his fortune through the dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming industries. He bought the team in 2017 when James Harden was in his prime in Houston.
Tide turning?
Harden helped him reach the Conference Finals in 2018, but since he left in 2021, the Rockets have been rebuilding. However, with coach Ime Udoka and star players Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun this season, the tide looks to have turned in Texas.
(6) Antony Ressler, Atlanta Hawks ($11.6 Billion)
Antony Ressler co-founded two giant private equity firms, Apollo Global Management and Ares Management, before acquiring the Atlanta Hawks in 2015.
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Conference Finals
Since acquiring the team in 2015, there hasn't been much to note about the Hawks. They have stayed above average and shocked the world once by reaching the Conference Finals in 2021. Trae Young, who was drafted in 2018, has been their most notable acquisition.
(5) Robert Pera, Memphis Grizzlies ($13.6 Billion)
Robert Pera is the founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Networks, a maker of wireless equipment. He purchased the team in 2012 for $377 million, which is worth $2.5 billion now, per The Big Lead. That's not bad business.
Ja Morant
Pera first took over the team during Zach Randolph's era, which led the Grizzlies to the Conference Finals in 2013. Since then, things have been up and down, but with the return of Ja Morant this year, things are starting to look up again.
(4) Stan Kroenke, Denver Nuggets ($16.9 Billion)
Stan Kroenke has a diverse portfolio of wealth, but the majority has come from his vast real estate empire and marrying into the Walton Family, the owners of Walmart. He bought the Denver Nuggets in 2000.
Getting over the hump
Kroenke struggled to take Denver over the edge for the first 22 years, leading them to the Conference Finals in 2009 and 2020. With Nikola Jokic's and Jamal Murray's help, the Nuggets lifted their first NBA Championship in 2023.
(3) Dan Gilbert, Cleveland Cavaliers ($28.1 Billion)
Dan Gilbert created his wealth when he co-founded the mortgage lender Quicken Loans. Gilbert took over the franchise in 2005, just two years after Cleveland drafted LeBron James.
Thanking LeBron
Gilbert can thank James for the years of success in Cleveland that led to consistent NBA Finals appearances and their only championship in 2016. All was forgiven after James left Cleveland initially in 2011 to join the Miami Heat.
(2) Miriam Adelson, Dallas Mavericks ($34.6 Billion)
Miriam Adelson bought the majority shareholding in the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban in 2023 after acquiring her wealth from her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, who built a casino empire in Las Vegas.
Immediate success
The new owner has immediately found success with the team led by superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after reaching the 2024 NBA Finals before losing to Boston.
(1) Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers ($121.3 Billion)
LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is the most prosperous sports owner in America. He amassed unfathomable wealth as the CEO of Microsoft. He bought the Clippers in 2014 after Donald Sterling was forced to sell them.
Best personality
Ballmer was responsible for helping the Clippers gain their own arena away from the LA Lakers, the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Ballmer has one of the most outstanding personalities in the league and has been seen chanting behind the basket. He led the Clippers to one Conference Finals appearance in 2021.
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