You are right, we need some solid information to go by, so let’s use the best resource we have, Forbes numbers.
Let’s take the Timberwolves, the team with the 2nd lowest value according to Forbes.
Now Glen Taylor bought them for $85m in 1995. Forbes valued them at $185m in 2001 and $264m in 2010. Forbes doesn’t have numbers before 2001, so lets just look a 2001 through 2010. In that period the team’s value increase $79 million dollars.
Over that same period, Forbes puts the team’s losses at $22m. Not great, but then again this is a team that gave Darko $20m over 4 years.
So a gain of $57 million over 10 years. Not bad for a team that has been consistently one of the worst run in professional sports.
Now let’s say the owners do need some concessions to stay afloat. Why would they stop there? They know they have all of the leverage. Their profit motive dictates that they should go for the jugular, and that is what they are doing. That is why this lockout is the owners’ fault.
In response to the NBA Player Union declining the owners latest offer.
Well said, wk4f.