Owning an NBA team is not everyone’s cup of tea. One needs to be very rich in order to buy a National Basketball Association (NBA) team. The current owners of NBA teams are the wealthiest people in the world. Here is the list of top 5 NBA team owners.
5. Stan Kroenke (Denver Nuggets)
Source: profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
Stan Kroenke bought the Denver Nuggets in the year 2000 for $202 million. At present, the value of the Denver Nuggets is $1.6 billion. Stan Kroenke net worth is $10 billion and he is the 5th richest owner of NBA teams. Kroenke earns a large share of money from real estate. He owns about 2 million acres of ranchland in the U.S. and Canada. Furthermore, Stan Kroenke is the owner of two soccer teams and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
4. Joseph Tsai (Brooklyn Nets)
Source: nytimes.com
The net worth of Joseph Tsai is $10.6 billion. He purchased the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 for $3.3 billion. Currently the market value of the team is $2.2 billion. Joseph Tsai is the no.2 shareholder of Alibaba, an online shopping website. Despite losing money in the NBA, Joseph is still backing the Brooklyn Nets.
3. Jerry Buss Family Trusts and Philip Anschutz (Los Angeles Lakers)
Source: businessinsider.com
The Los Angeles Lakers are owned by the Buss family and Philip Anschutz. The real owner of the team was Jerry Buss who bought the team in 1979. In 1998, Philip bought shares of the team. After Jerry Buss died in 2013, Philip took the leading role. The net worth of $11.2 billion. The current value of the Los Angeles Lakers is $4.4 billion.
2. Paul Allen Estate (Portland Trail Blazers)
Source: oregonlive.com
Paul Allen passed away in 2018. After his demise, the Portland Trail Blazers are owned by Paul Allen Estate. The net worth of Paul Allen Estate is $20.3 billion. Paul Allen bought the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 for $70 million. Allen was the cofounder of Microsoft along with Bill Gates. He was also a owner of a soccer team and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
1. Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers)
Source: vox.com
The richest NBA team owner is Steve Ballmer. He is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. The net worth of Steve Ballmer is $60 billion. He purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014 for $2 billion. The current value of the team is $2.6 billion. Steve Ballmer was the CEO of Microsoft from 2000-2014.
