Ten Notable Jewish Sports Owners

With the FIFA World Cup still raging away in Brazil, we at ShalomLife wanted to further explore the world of sports, and get a glimpse at some of the best sports owners in history.

From the man who turned the Anaheim Ducks around, to the owner who got the Mavericks in shape, we’ve found the best of the best. So grab a cold beer, turn the volume on the soccer down, and take a look at our list of ten of the most notable Jewish sports owners of all time.

10.

Micky Arison

Owns: Miami Heat

Born on June 29th, 1949, in Tel Aviv Micky Arison has amassed a net worth of over $6 billion dollars. Having worked previously as the Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation from 1979 to 2013, he now serves as a chairman on Carnival Corporation’s board. He purchased the Miami Heat in 1995 and under his ownership they’ve won the NBA Finals in 2006, 2012, and 2013 out of the 5 times they’ve made them, in addition to making the playoffs a staggering 16 times.

9.

Jerry Reinsdorf

Owns: Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls

From Brooklyn, New York, and born on February 25th, 1936, Jerry Reinsdorf has made a name for himself owning some of the most beloved sports teams around. Originally carving out his fortune in the real estate business, Reinsdorf is now owner of both the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls He bought the White Sox in 1981 and won a World Series with them in 2005. He then acquired the Bulls in 1985 and used them to win six NBA Championships between 1991 and 1998.

8.

Henry Samueli

Owns: Anaheim Ducks

This co-founder of the Broadcom Corporation, and owner of the Anaheim Ducks, was born on September 20th, 1954, in Buffalo, New York. He attended UCLA between 1975 and 1980 where he received his Ph. D. in electrical engineering. He then went on to work at the university as a professor while simultaneously working on starting up Broadcom Corporation. In 2005 he purchased the Anaheim Ducks (which were, at the time, known as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks until he shortened their name in 2006) for $75 million. The team has since gone on to win the 2007 Stanley Cup.

7.

Alan Cohen

Owned: Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Rangers, New York Knicks

Born Alan Norman Cohen on December 19th, 1930, in Passaic, New Jersey, this man would go on to own some of the most profitable sports teams in the world. His career in the sports industry started early, with him joining a group who collectively owned the New York Cosmos. He then went on to co-own the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets. From there he became chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, which owned both the New York Rangers and the beloved New York Knicks. Sadly, Cohen passed away in Boca Raton, Florida, on August 10th, 2004.

6.

Steve Ballmer

Owns: Los Angeles Clippers

Born Steven Anthony Ballmer on March 24th, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, this business mogul has recently been making waves in the media. Donald Sterling recently made headlines with racist remarks which, ultimately, led to the NBA banning him for life. He was also supposed to be subject to a committee hearing that would decide whether the would be allowed to continue owning the Los Angeles Clippers. In attempt to avoid their decision Sterling sold the team to Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, for a record $2 billion dollars. Not that Ballmer can’t afford it, as he’s worth an estimated $14.5 billion.

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