Jaylen Brown said the quiet part loud enough to be heard by those atop every NBA team, certainly Warriors CEO Joe Lacob. Loud enough to be on the minds of every franchise player, none more than Stephen Curry.Why, Brown wondered a few months ago, can’t NBA players generate franchise equity as owners do?
Curry knows why but yearns for change.
Given that Wednesday is the 16th anniversary of the marriage between the Warriors and the ownership group led by Lacob and Peter Guber, this seems particularly topical. When the group invested $450 million on July 15, 2010, many considered it an overpay.
Sixteen years and four NBA championships later, the folks at Forbes, who calculate franchise valuations, say the Warriors are worth more than $11 billion, making them the most valuable property in the NBA.
Thanks to Curry’s 17 years as the team’s centerpiece, Lacob, Guber and Co. underpaid.
The Warriors have grown from local cult following to global sensation. Lacob, Guber and Co. entered with a vision of building an elite sports franchise and succeeded – with Curry taking them on a ride to...