The 5 worst ownerships in basketball, vote for #1

[letsgorockets]

Sadly I have a feeling if you took this poll again in a few years Tillman Fertitta will be skyrocketing up the ranks of bad owners. He's meddlesome, cheap, and a bit of jackass to boot. Right now he's got Morey to cover his incompetence, the post Morey era is gonna be a sad time for Rockets fans.

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[Chanel Bomber]

Stopped reading there. That alone gets him the title as the worst. He’s kept this joker as top decision maker throughout this entire mess, all for being an incompetent “yes man.”

You know, some people learn from their mistakes. Steve Mills did that, hired Scott Perry and completely changed the culture of this organization after being complicit in its dysfunction for years.

You're right, Mills isn't blameless. But people can change for the better. His actions since Perry's hiring speak for themselves. I find it incredibly intolerant and self-serving to judge people forever based on their past wrongdoings and to dismiss their ability to become better people or professionals, especially when they have turned a corner.

Other than Dolan, the one constant in this horrid Knicks era has been Mills. This guy would not have survived in any other franchise given his track record. He’s a yes man to a terrible personality disordered owner, and his fingerprints are all over each bad move the Knicks make.

Yes, and he's hired Scott Perry and convinced James Dolan to finally sign off on a full rebuild. The problem in years past was that we never built the right way. Mills' fingerprints were all over our failures, but the Knicks are now finally moving in the right direction and Mills deserves credit for that, just as much as he deserves blame for our past failures.

You keep talking about his past. I'm interested in the present as well, and all the evidence suggests that he has learned from his mistakes. But I guess that part of the story doesn't fit your narrative.

By the way I have been very critical of the Knicks FA plan from the beginning so I'm not justifying each and every move the Knicks make either.

[Bob Ross]

Its Dolan.

He has poisoned the culture for 2 decades in ways that run very deep and are not public. Horrendous human being. It's like having a mini President Trump but for life. I hate this man. I wish the NBA could force him to sell

[Bill Bradley]

You know, some people learn from their mistakes. Steve Mills did that, hired Scott Perry and completely changed the culture of this organization after being complicit in its dysfunction for years.

You're right, Mills isn't blameless. But people can change for the better. His actions since Perry's hiring speak for themselves. I find it incredibly intolerant and self-serving to judge people forever based on their past wrongdoings and to dismiss their ability to become better people or professionals, especially when they have turned a corner.

Other than Dolan, the one constant in this horrid Knicks era has been Mills. This guy would not have survived in any other franchise given his track record. He’s a yes man to a terrible personality disordered owner, and his fingerprints are all over each bad move the Knicks make.

Yes, and he's hired Scott Perry and convinced James Dolan to finally sign off on a full rebuild. The problem in years past was that we never built the right way. Mills' fingerprints were all over our failures, but the Knicks are now finally moving in the right direction and Mills deserves credit for that, just as much as he deserves blame for our past failures.

You keep talking about his past. I'm interested in the present as well, and all the evidence suggests that he has learned from his mistakes. But I guess that part of the story doesn't fit your narrative.

By the way I have been very critical of the Knicks FA plan from the beginning so I'm not justifying each and every move the Knicks make either.

No offense but the present sucks for the Knicks too, not just the past. Signing a bunch of mediocre free agents doesn’t change their track record, it just affirms it.

The Knicks still go after low character, selfish players. Seems like Mills still has an influence.

[Chanel Bomber]

Other than Dolan, the one constant in this horrid Knicks era has been Mills. This guy would not have survived in any other franchise given his track record. He’s a yes man to a terrible personality disordered owner, and his fingerprints are all over each bad move the Knicks make.

Yes, and he's hired Scott Perry and convinced James Dolan to finally sign off on a full rebuild. The problem in years past was that we never built the right way. Mills' fingerprints were all over our failures, but the Knicks are now finally moving in the right direction and Mills deserves credit for that, just as much as he deserves blame for our past failures.

You keep talking about his past. I'm interested in the present as well, and all the evidence suggests that he has learned from his mistakes. But I guess that part of the story doesn't fit your narrative.

By the way I have been very critical of the Knicks FA plan from the beginning so I'm not justifying each and every move the Knicks make either.

No offense but the present sucks for the Knicks too, not just the past. Signing a bunch of mediocre free agents doesn’t change their track record, it just affirms it.

The Knicks still go after low character, selfish players. Seems like Mills still has an influence.

The Knicks are rebuilding through the draft.

They just had their highest draft pick since Patrick Ewing. Says a lot about how incompetent the franchise was for 20 years before we finally decided to bottom out, but since we’re talking about the present, getting the #3 pick after a tanking season is a valuable asset and something to look forward to. Knicks fans know the team is not gonna be good this year or next, but most of us haven’t been this excited about our future in a very long time and here’s why:

The Knicks have some talented young players with upside on the roster (Mitch, DSJ,Trier, hopefully RJ). A couple of busts too but that’s besides the point. We have all of our draft picks moving forward, which is unprecedented for the Knicks, and the FO is committed to keeping those picks. We have two additional first round draft picks from Dallas, who are a lottery team until they prove otherwise. One of those picks is unprotected in 2021. We have kept our flexibility in terms of capspace and didn’t sign anyone to a potential albatross contract. Randle is a nice addition. They went overboard with the PF signings no doubt, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter, because the direction of the franchise is stable and healthy and these signings are only short-term deals.

The days of trading first round draft picks for Andrea Bargnani and signing Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah to long term deals are long gone. Be real man, you’re being completely unfair. Different times. Not saying Mills and Perry are perfect either, but they’ve put the franchise on the right track.

[kenwood3333]

So many good options

[ProfessorJM]

Dolan has been hands off for years now, and he's trusted Steve Mills and Scott Perry to (finally) go with a full rebuild. Contrary to Sarver, he doesn't hesitate to spend dough either.

His tenure as the owner of the Knicks has been an unmitigated disaster but at this point I feel like he's become the punching bag for the Knicks' losing because it's convenient not to look at things from a more sophisticated perspective and understand that how well a team is run is not always exemplified by wins and losses. For years, the Knicks lost because they were incompetent. Now they are losing because they are rebuilding (the right way I might add), not because Dolan is the worst owner in sports.

Some of his actions like banning or not inviting the NY Daily News remain unjustifiable though. But I'll take Dolan over Sarver any day.

Yeah, I really agree with this overall but I would add I do think Dolan's personal actions at times (Oakley/fans/media issues as example) do have some impact on how NBA players view the franchise and as a result there may be at times more negative inertia/assumptions for Mills/Perry to overcome at the start of any dealings with certain agents and players. The media constantly pounding on Dolan probably doesn't help either. I think Sarver is the worst personally.

[ProfessorJM]

Sadly I have a feeling if you took this poll again in a few years Tillman Fertitta will be skyrocketing up the ranks of bad owners. He's meddlesome, cheap, and a bit of jackass to boot. Right now he's got Morey to cover his incompetence, the post Morey era is gonna be a sad time for Rockets fans.

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Maybe, but don't give up hope yet. He might simply have no faith in this current iteration of the team/coach but yes I see a few warning signs. I think their loss last year really soured him more than it should have...

[Joest2003]

People saying Dolan have no idea how bad the Hornets actually are. In the past 10 years besides Kemba their best player has been Al Jefferson. That's a whole decade. Knicks have at least had all stars and been somewhat competitive in the past 10 years.

[Chanel Bomber]

Dolan has been hands off for years now, and he's trusted Steve Mills and Scott Perry to (finally) go with a full rebuild. Contrary to Sarver, he doesn't hesitate to spend dough either.

His tenure as the owner of the Knicks has been an unmitigated disaster but at this point I feel like he's become the punching bag for the Knicks' losing because it's convenient not to look at things from a more sophisticated perspective and understand that how well a team is run is not always exemplified by wins and losses. For years, the Knicks lost because they were incompetent. Now they are losing because they are rebuilding (the right way I might add), not because Dolan is the worst owner in sports.

Some of his actions like banning or not inviting the NY Daily News remain unjustifiable though. But I'll take Dolan over Sarver any day.

Yeah, I really agree with this overall but I would add I do think Dolan's personal actions at times (Oakley/fans/media issues as example) do have some impact on how NBA players view the franchise and as a result there may be at times more negative inertia/assumptions for Mills/Perry to overcome at the start of any dealings with certain agents and players. The media constantly pounding on Dolan probably doesn't help either. I think Sarver is the worst personally.

You're right and my issues with Dolan nowadays have nothing to do with how basketball operations are being run but just how stupid he can be. The situation with Oakley is hard for me to judge because Oakley is a bully who always wanted to stick it to Dolan, although Dolan hasn't handled his beef with Oak in a very mature manner (a recurring theme). Neither has Oak. Dolan banning the New York Daily News was a disgrace. Him claiming the Knicks would have a "very successful offseason" on the radio in March was equally foolish and flat-out embarrassing. Dolan's just incredibly insecure, and it always seems to cloud his judgement.

At the end of the day, as far as free agents are concerned, I think it's all about winning. The Heat made the playoffs in 2010, the Knicks didn't. The Clippers and the Nets made the playoffs in 2019, the Knicks didn't. And that's where the big name free agents went. The Knicks just weren't ready, which is why I predicted we would strike out. I don't think Dolan played much of a factor to be honest. Still, the optics aren't great and it's certainly not helping, I agree.

[Joest2003]

DSJ is better than anyone on the Hornets roster and hes not even the best player on his team. I expect Julius Randle to have a great year plus they have a good prospect in RJ Barett. Hornets seriously dont get enough crap for how pathetic that franchise has been run. There is no team in a worse position today than the Hornets and its not even close.

[norcocredo]

I am not understanding the Jeanie Buss hate.

[dakomish23]

Dolan for what it’s worth has taken a step back pretty much since 2014.

I don’t put the failures on him squarely. The FO has sacrificed long term development for wins right now in the past and the moves this summer doesn’t exactly give me confidence that they’ll be all about the youth movement. Maybe they prove me wrong and actually see the big picture for once.

If you want to blame Dolan for anything, blame him for his unwavering loyalty to Steve “Compete at all costs”
Mills and his interactions with fans / former players.

[letsgorockets]

Sadly I have a feeling if you took this poll again in a few years Tillman Fertitta will be skyrocketing up the ranks of bad owners. He's meddlesome, cheap, and a bit of jackass to boot. Right now he's got Morey to cover his incompetence, the post Morey era is gonna be a sad time for Rockets fans.

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Maybe, but don't give up hope yet. He might simply have no faith in this current iteration of the team/coach but yes I see a few warning signs. I think their loss last year really soured him more than it should have...

The fact he doesn't have faith in his coaching staff/front office is alarming given that he's easily got a top 5 GM, and at least a top 10 coach. He should be thanking his lucky damn stars Les Alexander sold him a team in great shape. All he had to do was come in ready to spend, and stay out of Daryl's way. Honestly I'd be ok with him being loud and abrasive, even being meddlesome, if I felt like he would spend to contend, but he's a cheapskate! Cuban can be a horse's ass, and meddlesome, but it's obvious how much he cares and will spend whatever it takes when he feels like they can really win it all. This guy cheaps out on Ariza, ruining last season, and now won't pull the trigger on an Iggy deal that might make us neck and neck favorites with Milwaukee, Philly, and the Clips. I'm trying to ride out the Morey/Harden era hoping for that one perfect season, but after they go I'm done with basketball till this jerkoff sells.

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[Capn'O]

Sadly I have a feeling if you took this poll again in a few years Tillman Fertitta will be skyrocketing up the ranks of bad owners. He's meddlesome, cheap, and a bit of jackass to boot. Right now he's got Morey to cover his incompetence, the post Morey era is gonna be a sad time for Rockets fans.

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Those three attributes are what put Sarver over the top for me. Meddlesome, cheap, and mean vs a HUGE dose of incompetence and delusion with Dolan. Pick your poison.

[pootbrah]

This is the toughest poll of all time legit.