As I sat watching Lassiter miss all four of his three-point attempts in that EASL road game against Hiroshima last Wednesday, it struck me how rarely we discuss the human element behind professional basketball franchises. We analyze player performance down to the millimeter, yet the stories behind the owners who shape these organizations remain largely untold. Having followed NBA ownership dynamics for over fifteen years, I've come to realize these individuals operate in a world far more complex than the public imagines, where basketball decisions intertwine with personal ambitions, hidden rivalries, and sometimes surprising vulnerabilities.
What fascinates me most about team owners isn't just their wealth—though that's certainly substantial, with the average NBA franchise now valued at approximately $2.86 billion—but their motivations. I've had the privilege of speaking with several front office executives over the years, and they consistently reveal how owners' personal histories shape their approaches. Some owners, like the late Jerry Buss, treated their teams as extensions of their personalities, creating cultures that reflected their own values and lifestyles. Others view franchises purely as business investments, though I've noticed these tend to be less successful in the long run. The emotional investment required to build a championship organization simply can't be manufactured through spreadsheets alone.
The pressure on owners during slumps like Lassiter's recent performance reveals much about their management philosophies. When a player struggles, the owner's response tells you everything about their basketball acumen. The best owners I've observed understand that basketball operates in cycles—they provide stability during rough patches rather than demanding immediate changes. Poorer owners panic, meddle in basketball operations, and ultimately undermine their organizations. I remember speaking with a scout who described how one owner demanded his team attempt fifty three-pointers per game after reading an analytics article, completely disregarding the team's personnel and strengths.
Behind the scenes, ownership groups are far from monolithic. What the public sees during press conferences barely scratches the surface of the intricate power dynamics within these billion-dollar organizations. Through my conversations with league insiders, I've learned that decision-making often involves heated debates between majority owners and their limited partners, with basketball operations staff caught in the middle. One executive confided that his team's controversial draft pick resulted from a compromise between warring ownership factions rather than pure basketball evaluation. These internal conflicts sometimes explain baffling roster decisions that frustrate fans.
The financial aspect of ownership contains its own secrets. While franchise values have skyrocketed—increasing roughly 450% over the past decade—the operational realities are more nuanced. Revenue sharing, luxury tax calculations, and arena deals create complex financial landscapes that even seasoned analysts struggle to fully decipher. I've come to believe that many owners actually lose money on basketball operations annually when you factor in their debt servicing and operating costs, treating their teams as prestige assets rather than pure profit centers. The real financial benefits often come from the appreciating franchise value and associated business opportunities.
International expansion represents another fascinating dimension of modern ownership. The EASL game where Lassiter struggled exemplifies how forward-thinking owners are positioning their franchises for global relevance. Having attended games in multiple countries, I've witnessed firsthand how owners are building international fan bases through strategic partnerships and overseas games. The most visionary owners aren't just thinking about their local markets anymore—they're building global brands that transcend traditional geographic boundaries. This global perspective is reshaping everything from roster construction to marketing strategies.
After years of studying this world, what continues to surprise me is how personal everything remains despite the billions involved. Owners develop genuine attachments to players, experience real heartbreak during playoff losses, and form complex relationships with their cities. The public perception of cold, calculating billionaires often misses the genuine passion that drives many of these individuals. When I see an owner's reaction to a last-second loss, I recognize the same emotional investment I feel as a fan—just multiplied by a billion-dollar responsibility. The human element, much like Lassiter's temporary shooting slump, reminds us that behind the business and analytics, basketball remains fundamentally about people.
People in Motion (PiM) is our employee advocacy and improvement program. These cross-functional groups are comprised of employees, with an executive sponsor, who contribute ideas and drive action towards focused areas of improvement across the employee experience. The groups include: Kyruus Kontext & Business Readiness; Community, Connectivity, & Engagement; System, Tools, & Productivity; IDEA [Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility].
As a remote-first company, we are invested in employees creating a work setup that allows them to do their best work. In addition to a laptop, we also provide you with $750 to get the additional equipment you need and add an ongoing amount of $1,200 to your salary to cover remote work costs.
We value ownership at Kyruus Health, not only in the work you do but in the shared financial success from our growth. Employees will have the opportunity to grow their equity ownership throughout their tenure.
We care about creating the time you need to bond for any team members at Kyruus Health growing their families. We offer 8 weeks of fully paid leave to all parents. Birthing parents are also eligible for additional time and coverage through our Short-Term Disability plan.
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We offer employees a lifestyle stipend of $2,000 per year to help them be well. This is designed for Kyruus Health to offset the cost for items, experiences, or home expenses that enhance team members’ well-being
We want to provide employees and families with health insurance offerings to support them getting the care they need. Our health, dental, and vision plans are desiged to allow employees the opportunity to choose options that work best for themselves and their families.
We are committed to flexibility and empowering employees to do work that matters in a way that works for them. Our unlimited PTO policy is anchored on that flexibility – encouraging employees to take time off for what’s important to them, in addition to the many company holidays we celebrate. To highlight our commitment to a healthy work-life balance, we provide a specific stipend each quarter for employees to use on a recharge day.
