Power Ranking Who Has the Most Clout in the NBA

The NBA has a chain of command, which in the scheme of things means very little.

Regardless of who holds what position and who is supposed to answer to whom, the Association's true caste system is hardly documented. But it does exist, just in the unspoken sense.

From a league commissioner struggling to save face to crafty front-office personnel to larger-than-life athletes, the NBA boasts a wide variety of personalities who possess certain levels of control and hold a certain amount of clout.

And while job titles and descriptions are an integral part of shaping a person's league-related reputation and stature, there are plenty of other factors that come into play.

Simply put, respect isn't given, it's earned. Whether it's achieved through action, marketing worth, national and global popularity, among other things, is irrelevant.

Because it hardly matters how you became influential; all that matters is how influential you've come to be.

12. Blake Griffin

Surprised? 

You shouldn't be.

Blake Griffin has changed the way we look at the game of basketball forever, in a Vince Carter at-his-peak kind of way.

The Clippers forward may not be as integral to the team's success as Chris Paul, but he's the most well-known player in the NBA under 25 and has become the measuring stick for which we judge all various forms of athletic ability. 

Suddenly, in-game highlight dunks have become a staple again. Suddenly, it's an act of betrayal when he doesn't opt to defend his slam dunk title. And suddenly, a player can make an All-Star appearance not because of his two-way versatility, but because of how high he can jump.

Griffin has become a marketer's dream and a meal-ticket for any who stand to capitalize off his presence. I mean, his colorful stylings were cool, borderline worshiped, even before the Clippers were good. And that's saying something.

Yes, Griffin holds some major clout, and he will continue to do so as long as his vertical reach is cashing his checks and sending both players and fans alike into a rim-rocking frenzy.

11. David Stern

The NBA's commissioner, David Stern, would like to believe that he matters, and he does—just not as much as his job description implies.

Stern's clout has nothing to do with him as a person, but rather, him as a figure-head. Sure, he has plenty of control, but he's bound by the limitations of the league's rulebook and, well, the lack of respect the players have for him.

Simply put, the commissioner is not a well-liked man. He's fairly high up in the NBA's food chain, but he's far from the most powerful fixture in the league. 

So, for any and all who aren't fully convinced of the falsity behind the conspiracy theory that took the NBA by storm this summer, take solace in this: Stern holds some clout, but not the kind that could fuel such an intricate, albeit ridiculous, claim.

10. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant holds some major clout—in the most understated of manners possible.

The thing with Durant is that he's openly loyal and humble, a rarity amongst the NBA's greatest superstars. He's one of the more reliable role models and the type of athlete who, despite a plethora of accolades to his name, isn't hated. At all.

Durant has nearly 3 million followers on Twitter and a bio that states he's not afraid to be himself. Simply put, he's polarizing, both on and off the court, and has become the face of everything that is right—not wrong—with the NBA.

Sometimes, players get it right. In Durant's case, though, he has yet to get it wrong.

And he's both respected and revered for it. 

9. Dwight Howard

Say what you will about Dwight Howard, but the man-child holds some serious clout.

Not many players would have been able to hold us hostage for 18 months the way that Howard did. We watched and waited with bated breath to see where he would go and what he would do next. And no matter how many ridiculous turns the saga took, we continued to follow along.

No, Howard is far from the pinnacle of respectability, but you don't generate the type of audience he does just by being a professional athlete. 

Like it or not, we are drawn to Howard for some reason. Whether it was the easy-going, perpetually smirking Howard of old that reeled us in or the self-serving big man who couldn't make a decision to save his life is irrelevant.

The fact is, good or bad, Howard is captivating.

8. Mark Cuban

Remember when the Mavericks were a complete joke?

Neither do I, thanks to Mark Cuban.

There isn't an owner in the league more committed to his team than Cuban is. Not only can he be found donning Mavericks apparel at each and every game, but he has publicly both defended and called players out. He's also not one to shy away from ridiculing David Stern.

And when Cuban talks, regardless of the premise of his argument, people listen, because they care what he has to say. He's not just some eccentric billionaire running around like a team mascot, he's a successful businessman who brought the Dallas franchise out of the NBA's doldrums and into the realm of title contention.

So, while we may laugh or even scoff at his colorful personality, there's simply no denying how much of a mark the league's most respected and involved owner has left on the Mavericks and the rest of the league. 

7. Pat Riley

Maybe it's the slicked back hair. Maybe it's the stern looking face he always has on. Maybe it's the championship rings he's wearing.

Whatever the reason, Pat Riley holds some serious clout, even outside of South Beach.

Riley is not only the man who helped orchestrate one of the biggest free agency coups in the history of the NBA, nor is he just the guy who sold LeBron James on playing in Miami. He's the guy who sets out to do something and achieves it, whatever it may be, at whatever cost.

Even post-summer of 2010, boasting the likes of James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade will only get you so far. Riley has somehow managed to help convince a bounty of players—most recently Ray Allen—to take a significant pay cut to help the Heat's championship cause.

There's simply no overestimating this man. He's extremely calculated and charismatic in everything he does, and it shows in the results his tenure in Miami has yielded time and time again.

Because as both a coach and face of the Heat's front office, Riley has accomplished more than many of the league's most talented stars ever will.

6. Jeremy Lin

In the span of just a couple months, Jeremy Lin went from a no-name to household-name athlete.

And while Lin is far from the best point guard in the NBA, he has established himself as one of the most influential athletes in the game.

Not only is the undrafted phenomenon a global icon and cash-cow, but he's a living, breathing symbol of one of the most inspirational stories in all of his sports. His value from a marketing and overall financial standpoint alone is earth-shattering.

So, with Lin, it's not so much what he does on the basketball court, but the impact he has off it; he's an overnight sensation turned permanent fixture. His potential on the hardwood is merely a bonus.

But don't take my word for it—or even Time magazine's word for it—because whether you buy into this or not, you'll know for sure how much clout he holds when his global popularity earns him a spot on the 2013 Western Conference All-Star team.

5. Shaquille O'Neal

Even in retirement, Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most influential NBA personalities out there.

Not only is O'Neal a now well-known author, but he's a vibrant television personality who rarely holds anything back, regardless of the platform he's on; if O'Neal has something to say, there's always a willing audience standing by ready to listen.

And we're not talking a Charles Barkley-like audience, we're talking over 6.2 million followers on Twitter, a larger following than LeBron James even has.

Achieving that kind of popularity is no easy feat, even when you are the most outspoken big man the NBA has ever seen.

And you don't get to that level of notoriety without commanding a certain amount of respect and holding a significant amount of clout.

4. Mitch Kupchak

There are those who attempt to downplay the type of league-wide impact Mitch Kupchak makes. Those people are bonkers.

Kupchak is the epitome of front-office execution. He has a penchant for pulling off lopsided trades and no matter how far off the track the Lakers may deviate, he always seems to possess the resourcefulness necessary to steer them back on course.

I mean, this is a guy who has managed to keep a player like Kobe Bryant in the same uniform for nearly two decades. Sure, there have been some bumps along the way, but that's why it's so impressive, because he's found ways to make it work.

But Bryant or no Bryant, Dwight Howard or no Dwight Howard, as long as the Lakers have Kupchak to call the shots, they never have cause to be truly concerned.

Because regardless of the quandary, Kupchak always has the answer; there's not a general manager in the NBA who commands more respect than he does.

3. Gregg Popovich

When Gregg Popovich talks, everybody listens.

There isn't a coach in the league with more job security than Coach Pop; he has won nearly 850 games in 17 years as a head coach and led the Spurs to four NBA titles.

Don't let the gray hair fool you, the guy knows what he's talking about. Why else would Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have spent their entire careers thus far in San Antonio? They've all had opportunities to leave, but they didn't.

That's what Popovich does. He's a players' coach, yet maintains an air of a disciplinarian that makes it clear he bows to no one; he's the NBA's Phil Jackson this side of the lockout.

Head coaches, as a collective, tend to generate plenty of criticism. Many are deemed to be unnecessary and their success merely a product of the talented players they've had the luxury of overseeing.

But not Coach Pop. He doesn't fall inside that stereotype; his own players adore him, opposing players love him and other coaches want to be him.

And the Spurs wouldn't be where they are today without him.

2. Kobe Bryant

Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant is the man.

If Bryant asks someone to jump, their immediate response—especially in Los Angeles—is "How high?" 

After more than a decade-and-a-half of exploiting opposing defenses, the Black Mamba is still going strong. He's been the face of the Lakers for nearly two decades and is one of the most polarizing figures the NBA has ever had to offer.

This is a guy who has never been one to shy away from confrontation, never afraid to speak his mind. He's been no stranger to dominating the tabloid section, yet has never wavered in his commitment to the game.

Bryant has been compared to Jordan, been named 13 All-Star teams, has a handful of various MVP awards and five NBA championships.

And his tank isn't empty yet, which is why he commands respect, why he holds so much power in Tinseltown and why he means so much more to the game of basketball than most of his peers.

1. LeBron James

LeBron James is simultaneously one of the most beloved and hated players the NBA has ever seen.

As the most athletically gifted athlete to ever grace the hardwood, naturally James commands a certain level of attention and respect. But his influence stretches well beyond that.

James is the type of player you drop everything for. If he wanted to, he could have the final say in all of the Heat's basketball decisions, more so than Dwyane Wade and in spite of the clout Pat Riley holds himself.

And off the court, James is one of the most recognizable and sought after commodities of the era. He has over 6 million followers on Twitter and the type of endorsements that would make Kobe Bryant blush.

No, he's not Michael Jordan, but that doesn't matter. In this day and age of the NBA, James is the NBA's Jordan; there isn't another player, let alone a coach or general league fixture that is more influential than The Chosen One.

Period.

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