A century ago, a Black-owned team ruled basketball − today, no Black majority owners remain

Jared Bahir Browsh

For the first time in 20 years, the NBA began its season with no Black-owned franchises.

In fact, there’s been only one Black majority-owned team in league history.

In late 2002, the NBA awarded an expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats, to Black Entertainment Television co-founder Bob Johnson. Four years later, former NBA star Michael Jordan bought a minority stake in the franchise, and in 2010, he bought Johnson’s stake. However, Jordan sold his majority stake in the franchise in July 2023.

This lack of diversity in basketball team ownership is especially disappointing considering the rich history of Black ownership in sports, which began when the top leagues in the U.S. were still segregated.

A century ago, one of the top pre-NBA professional franchises began play in Harlem thanks to the efforts of a Black business owner named Bob Douglas.

A challenge to the dominance of white sports