15: Michael Jordan — Charlotte Hornets ($1.9 billion)
Age: 56
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Need we say? Jordan is the NBA's greatest player of all time having won six championships and been named the league's MVP five times.
Most of his wealth has come from his ventures off the court however, having been endorsed by brands such as Coca-Cola, Gatorade, and McDonald's, as well as co-creating the "Jordan Brand" clothing and shoe range with Nike.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
14: Anthony Ressler — Atlanta Hawks ($2.7 billion)
Age: 59
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: A former Wall Street worker, Anthony "Tony" Ressler has co-founded two private equity firms, first Ares Management in 1987, followed by Apollo Management three years later.
In 2005 he became a minority owner of MLB side the Milwaukee Brewers, before buying the Atlanta Hawks in 2015 as part of a group that includes former NBA star Grant Hill.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
13: Michael Rubin — Philadelphia 76ers ($2.9 billion)
Age: 47
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Rubin started his career as a teenager when he opened a ski shop in Pennsylvania, using money from his bar mitzvah, according to People.
After his ski empire grew, Rubin went on to create athletic equipment brand KPR sports, and later e-commerce company, GSI Commerce, which he sold to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
12: Glen Taylor — Minnesota Timberwolves ($3 billion)
Age: 78
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Havard graduate Taylor purchased Carlson Wedding Services for $2 million over the course of a decade starting in 1975, and later turned it into printing and electronics company Taylor Corporation.
Today, Taylor Corp. has over $2 billion in sales. Taylor, who was also a Republican Minnesota State Senator from 1981 to 1990, still remains chairman.
Titles won as owner: Western Conference (2003/04).
11: Gayle Benson — New Orleans Pelicans ($3.1 billion)
Age: 72
Nationality: American
How she made her fortune: One of only five women to own majority shares in NBA team's, Benson started her career as an interior designer, before inheriting both the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans and the NFL's New Orleans Saints following the death of her third husband, Tom Benson, in 2018.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
10: Mark Cuban — Dallas Mavericks ($4.1 billion)
Age: 61
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Cuban co-founded video portal Broadcast.com in 1995, before selling it to Yahoo just four years later for $5.7 billion.
He has since invested the money in a number of ventures, including film distributor Magnolia Pictures, maternal healthcare company Mahmee, and disaster-aid lighting firm Luminaid.
Titles won as owner: NBA Championship (2011), Western Conference (2006, 2011), Southwest Division (2007, 2010).
9: Joshua Harris — Philadelphia 76ers ($4.3 billion)
Age: 54
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Harris started in the investment banking industry in the 1980s, before establishing private equity powerhouse Apollo alongside Leon Black and Marc Rown in 1990.
As well as maintaining control of Apollo, Harris owns shares in Premier League football club Crystal Palace, the New Jersey Devils, and, of course, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
8: Tilman Fortuity — Houston Rockets ($4.8 billion)
Age: 62
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Described by Forbes as the "world's richest restaurateur", Tilman owns Texas-based restaurant company Landrys, which includes the brands Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Rainforest Cafe, and Morton's The Steakhouse.
Tilman also owns a number of hotels and casinos across the mid-west. He bought the Houston Rockets in September 2017 for $2.2 billion.
Titles won as owner: Southwest Division (2018, 2019).
7: Tom Gores — Detroit Pistons ($5.6 billion)
Age: 55
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Born in Nazareth, Israel, Gores moved to America aged five, and later attended Michigan State University, where he also worked as a janitor to pay for tuition.
After a spell in telecom's, he formed Platinum Equity in 1995, which quickly become one of the nation's leading private equity firms, whose clients have included Motorola, Fujitsu, and Alcatel.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
6: Dan Gilbert — Cleveland Cavaliers ($6.5 billion)
Age: 57
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Gilbert co-founded America's biggest mortgage lender "Quicken Loans" with his brother Gary in 1985, after graduating as a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School.
He also formed his own gaming and entertainment franchise, Rock Gaming (now JACK Entertainment), in 2009, which controls a number of Casinos and Hotels across Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, and Michigan.
Titles won as owner: NBA Championship (2016), Eastern Conference (2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Central Division (2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).
5: Robert Pera — Memphis Grizzlies ($7.1 billion)
Age: 41
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: The NBA's youngest club owner, Pera formerly worked for Apple, before leaving the company in 2005 after founding wi-fi pioneer Ubiquiti Networks.
Ubiquiti specialize in producing wireless access points and networking equipment to help deliver internet access to rural areas. Pera bought the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012, and the team have since enjoyed its most successful period in its history.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
=3: Ann Walton Kroenke — Denver Nuggets ($7.8 billion)
Age: 70
Nationality: American
How she made her fortune: Kroenke is an heir to the Walmart fortune, having inherited stock from her father and co-founder Bud Walton after he died in 1995.
She is married to billionaire realtor Stan Kroenke, with whom she co-owns a number of sports teams, including the Los Angeles Rams, Arsenal FC, and the Colorado Rapids.
Titles won as owner: Northwest Division (2006, 2009, 2010, 2019).
=3: Micky Arison — Miami Heat ($7.8 billion)
Age: 70
Nationality: Israeli/American
How he made his fortune: Arison dropped out of University to become a sales rep for his father's cruise ship company, Carnival Corporation, as a youngster, before later assuming the role of CEO in 1979.
At the time Arison took over as head of the organization, Carnival Corp. had a mere two ships to its name, but by the time he stepped down in 2013, it had become the world's largest cruise ship operator.
Titles won as owner: NBA Championship (2006, 2012, 2013), Western Conference (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), Atlantic Division (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), Southeast Division (2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018).
2: Joseph Tsai — Brooklyn Nets ($9.7 billion)
Age: 55
Nationality: Canadian/Hong Kongese
How he made his fortune: Tsai was part of the group that formed multinational holding company "Alibaba Group" in 1999, and is now its second largest individual shareholder after Jack Ma.
The Taiwan born entrepreneur bought the Brooklyn Nets in September 2019, but also holds in MLS soccer side Los Angeles FC.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
1: Steve Ballmer — Los Angeles Clippers ($51.5 billion)
Age: 63
Nationality: American
How he made his fortune: Former Microsoft CEO Ballmer is the world's 16th richest person, with a net worth of $51.6 billion.
He joined the company as its 30th ever employee in 1980, before eventually resigning in 2014 — a move Bill Gates, for whom Ballmer was Best Man at his wedding, was said not to be happy with.
Titles won as owner: N/a.
