Think NBA owners are sweating out each day of the lockout? Maybe you should check the number of league bosses on the latest Forbes 400 list. A dozen NBA owners made the rankings of the richest people in America. With 30 teams in the conference, that means 42.8 percent of the owners are sitting pretty. (And even if the entire season is sacrificed, they can write off the losses to save some money on taxes.)

So with the help of IamaGM.com, here are 12 men whose bank wouldn't even be slightly broken if their team doesn't see the court for a while. Every single one is worth at least $1.45 billion.

For much more on wealth and sports, visit InvestingAnswers.com.

Follow The Money: More Than Forty Percent Of NBA Owners Rank In Forbes 400 Slideshow

 

12. Joshua Harris, 76ers

Earlier this summer, buyout specialist Harris bought the 76ers from Comcast-Spectator. Harris has an impressive resume that includes a bachelor's degree from Penn’s Wharton School of Business and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. The 46-year-old is one of the youngest on our list and worth $1.45 billion.

 

11. Donald Sterling, Clippers

The L.A. Clippers owner may not have the better of the city's teams, but his real estate investments and law practice have helped him gain a net worth of $1.5 billion. Still, his business acumen hasn't won him any popularity contests, with Yahoo! Sports blogger Kelly Dwyer naming Sterling the "worst person in the world" his handling of Clippers coach Kim Hughes' prostate cancer surgery. (Players took it on themselves to pay for it when the team wouldn't.)

 

10. Michael Heisley, Grizzlies

The 74-year-old owner of the Memphis Grizzlies orchestrated the team's controversial move to Vancouver and is also involved in the manufacturing business. He's a father of five and worth $1.5 billion.

 

9. Daniel Gilbert, Cavaliers

His team might have lost LeBron and received the wrath of NBA commissioner David Stern, but the Cavaliers owner has made plenty of his own good "decisions." He runs Quickens, the top company providing online direct-to-consumer home loans, and has a net worth of $1.5 billion.

 

8. Herb Simon, Pacers

Thinking about suing the Indiana Pacers owner? Think again. Earlier this month, the Simons' former nanny and driver filed a lawsuit, accusing the billionaire ($1.6 billion to be exact) and his Miss Universe wife of being unfair bosses. But the L.A. court found the couple had in fact spoiled the employees with lavish gifts of diamonds, iPods, cash and even a Mercedes. TMZ says it best: "Next time the Simons are hiring, APPLY, APPLY, APPLY."

 

7. Glen Taylor, Timberwolves

A former Minnesota state senator, Taylor owns the Timberwolves and WNBA team the Lynx. His net worth of $1.8 billion comes from his roles as founder, CEO and chairman of Taylor Corporation, an electronics and printing company.

 

6. Mark Cuban, Mavericks

Hoosier daddy? Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban put himself through college at Indiana with his stamp collection. Along with the Mavs, he owns Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures, sits as chairman of HDNet and tells it like it is to hopeful entrepreneurs on the show "Shark Tank." It's all added up to a net worth of $2.3 billion.

 

5. Tom Gores, Pistons

A new member of the NBA owner fraternity, Gores bought the Detroit Pistons in June and has a net worth of $2.5 billion. The Israeli-born husband and father could be renamed Mr. Mergers and Acquisitions, buying up companies from manufacturers to newspapers. Gores takes his business philosophy home with him -- he bought the house next door to his own in Beverly Hills, connected the two with a gate and turned the new backyard into a soccer field.

 

4. Stanley Kroenke, Nuggets

Being the husband of Wal-Mart royalty almost guarantees a comfortable life, but when you're also the owner of a sports mega-enterprise, you don't have much to worry about. Kroenke Sports enterprises includes the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League and St. Louis Rams. No, that doesn't cover it all. Kroenke is a major shareholder of Arsenal. The 64-year-old "Silent Stan" mainly keeps to himself, and with a net worth of $3.2 billion, who can blame him?

 

3. Micky Arison, Heat

We all know a college degree isn't necessary to become a billionaire. As owner of the Miami Heat and CEO of Carnival Corporation, Arison knows how to live the good life and give some of it back to tired parents, tanned retirees and starry-eyed newlyweds. He may not have finished his degree at the University of Miami, but with a net worth of $4.2 billion and homes in New York and Israel, who cares?

 

2. Richard DeVos, Magic

The owner of the Orlando Magic and co-founder of Amway is still going strong at 85 years old. A World War II veteran, DeVos has a net worth of $5 billion.

 

1. Paul Allen, Trail Blazers

One pro team isn't enough for the less famous co-founder of Microsoft. Allen owns the Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks and is part-owner of the Seattle Sounders soccer team. The 58-year-old Washington resident has a net worth of $13.2 billion, thanks to savvy investing and, you know, the whole Microsoft thing. Owning one of the world's 100 longest yachts, Tatoosh, and playing music with Usher is further testament to the successful revenge of the computer nerd.

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