Basketball at the NBA level, when it comes to players, is about selecting the best of the absolute best. And as per research done in 2021, 73.9% of the league’s players are black.
Considering that these players have helped turn the league into a multi-billion dollar entity, one might expect that there are more black team owners as well. That is not the case though, and Sixers minority owner Michael Rubin spoke about that.
Stephen Jackson asked Michael Rubin on All The Smoke, “The NBA is 70% black. What’s your take on only having one (black) owner?”
Rubin replied, “I think you need more diversity for sure. I think diversity is so important. I mean, if I look at the way we built our company, we have a very diverse leadership team. Look, at the end of the day, we have a business that’s dependent on – and 70% to 75% of our revenue is derived from – black and brown athletes.
“We better have a team that’s representative of that. So, I think we need to keep pushing for more. I think there’s not been enough progress made… I think it’s coming but not fast enough.”
Ownership is a tricky group to get representation in, there are hardly a handful of people that can afford to buy a majority stake in an NBA franchise. It has to make sense for them as an investment, and then it is the league’s job to ensure they can make it happen, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Michael Jordan is in the process of selling his team as well, though, so not even having one black owner could end up being a bad look for the league.
LeBron James Seems On Track To Add To That Number
Dwyane Wade is another former player that is an active owner, although he too only knows a minority stake in the Utah Jazz. The man who seems primed to become the next black majority owner is none other than LeBron James. LeBron has actively been linked with a potential new expansion franchise in Las Vegas.
He has spoken about his dream of owning a team often and it’s hard to see what would stop him from making it happen. The hope is that as players start to earn more money and gain new avenues to grow their wealth, more black owners will come in and be decision-makers within the NBA.
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