How Many NBA Teams Have Black Owners?

A new era of NBA ownership is underway, with a record number of Black majority owners. Here’s a look at the teams that have Black majority ownership.

NBA Teams with Black Owners

Currently, there are zero NBA teams with black owners. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said that he would like to see that change, and there have been several initiatives to try and increase black ownership in the league. In 2014, former player Grant Hill and business executive Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter co-founded a company called Casting Basketball Partners with the goal of increasing black ownership in the NBA. In 2020, Michael Jordan became the first former player to own an NBA team when he purchased a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets.

The Importance of Black Ownership in the NBA

In the early days of the NBA, most of the league’s players were African American. However, there were no black team owners. This began to change in the 1970s, when NBA great Magic Johnson became a minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since then, a number of other African Americans have become part owners of NBA teams. Below is a list of the current black owners in the NBA.

– Michael Jordan, Charlotte Bobcats
– Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics
– Joshua Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
– Bruce Levenson, Atlanta Hawks
– Glen Taylor, Minnesota Timberwolves
– Robert Pera, Memphis Grizzlies

The Benefits of Black Ownership in the NBA

Black ownership in the NBA can have numerous benefits for both the league and the players involved. For one, it can help to promote diversity and inclusion within the league. Having black owners can also help to connect the league with its black fans, which can be beneficial from a marketing perspective. Additionally, black ownership can help to provide opportunities for black entrepreneurs and businesspeople within the NBA.

The Challenges of Black Ownership in the NBA

Since the late 1980s, a number of African American millionaires and billionaires have become NBA owners. But the number of black team owners in the league remains small, and the challenges of black ownership are significant.

According to a 2011 report from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, only 3 percent of NBA team owners were black. That number has not changed significantly in the past decade.

The primary obstacle for black ownership groups is finding the capital to purchase an NBA franchise. The price of an NBA team has increased dramatically in recent years, as the league has boomed in popularity around the world. In 2014, the average NBA franchise was valued at $634 million by Forbes magazine.

In order to purchase an NBA franchise, an ownership group must have enough money to cover the purchase price, as well as any necessary renovations to arenas or other facilities. They must also have enough money to cover operating costs such as player salaries, travel expenses, and marketing costs. For many potential black owners, raising this kind of capital is a significant challenge.

Another obstacle for black ownership groups is that they often lack the necessary experience running a professional sports franchise. Most NBA team owners come from a background in business or law, and many have years of experience managing multimillion-dollar businesses. Many African Americans simply don’t have these same credentials or networks when it comes to owning an NBA team.

Despite these challenges, there are a number of successful black NBA team owners who have overcome these obstacles and found success in owning an NBA franchise. These include Michael Jordan (Charlotte Hornets), Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Robert Johnson ( Charlotte Bobcats).