NBA Power Rankings: The 5 Most Controversial Owners in the League

In a world that is filled with the sayings "this is a dog eat dog world," "every man is for himself" and "if you ain't first your last," it it hard to deny the fact that the world in general is a very selfish place.

The simple reality he that people like Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who has more money than most people can imagine, has the authority to do whatever he wants to either benefit the Clippers or benefit himself. He sadly chooses profit over performance.

Now that the NBA is under threat of a lock-out next year, the fingers have to be pointed at certain people. It is the actions the selfish owners who care more about how much they make rather than if "their team" is going to make the playoffs or not.

In this slideshow I will rank the top five worst NBA owners in the league today. It is a shame that there is even enough material to write about these so-called owners, but alas. As always, I would love if readers weighed on the subject, and I thank you for your comments in advance!

5. Dan Gilbert

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CLEVELAND - OCTOBER 27: Majority owner Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks to the media prior to playing the Boston Celtics in the Cavaliers 2010 home opner at Quicken Loans Arena on October 27, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expre

Sorry Cleveland fans, but there was no avoiding this; Dan Gilbert has, with the help of LeBron James, ruined this franchise, and whether or not it is fair to point the finger at Dan Gilbert, the reasons are there.

Just think back to when everything was good in Akron, Ohio. The Cavaliers were the best team in the East, LeBron was winning the majority of the MVP votes, and the fans in Cleveland finally had something to root for.

There's a good reason why Gilbert should be partly blamed for the ruining of the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise, and it could have been avoided. It's quite simple; when the Cavaliers were thriving under LeBron's wings, Gilbert should have gone the extra mile to ensure both LeBron's happiness and a title run by adding a superstar to play with King James.

Of course we are being picky here, but let's be honest, when your team is built around players like Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao, there is only so much a team can do even with LeBron. This is sad, but Gilbert has contributed  to Cavaliers' franchise turn for the worse and it won't be fixed anytime soon.

4. Robert Sarver

Before all of you Phoenix Suns' fans start harping about the recent successes of this team and how picking up Steve Nash was the best idea since sliced bread, let us take a look at what Robert Sarver has done over the years.

Yes, he has built more than average teams around superstar, Steve Nash, and yes, he has helped the Suns to multiple playoff runs, but what good owner, who truly cares about the success of his team, lets go of someone like Joe Johnson, just to save some money?

No competitive owner does that. Maybe Sarver didn't know Johnson's capability, or maybe he didn't want to pay a bit more cash for a potential championship team, but I'll let you decide that for yourself.

Besides Johnson, Sarver has released or traded away many players who could have helped the Suns to more success, or maybe even a championship, but instead he has sent them away for either average roll players, or money, and that doesn't allow a team to go anywhere.

3. George Shinn

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NEW ORLEANS - MARCH 8: Owner George Shinn of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets talks to the media before the first game to be played since Hurricane Katrina as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2006 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orlea

Whether it be on or off the court, George Shinn has had his share of controversial moments.

The NBA had to buyout the New Orleans Hornets (the money coming from other owners in the league) in an attempt to save the organization.

Shinn has never really had too much success as an owner. Though he has successfully kept Chris Paul and David West, (who have done well over the years) the overall success of the team really hasn't seemed to be on Shinn's list of priorities.

2. Donald Sterling

Infamous for being one of the worst owners in the league, Donald Sterling is the definition of profit maximization

Have you ever heard of something called, "the Clipper Curse?" Well, Sterling basically invented it. In a broad sense, it is the term used to describe the unstoppable reality that is high draft picks becoming injured while being a Clipper and then being traded away as soon as their rookie contracts expire.

There really isn't much to say about Sterling, besides the fact that he has been known to trade away or release players if they became "too pricey" for the old man, and though the Clippers are doing much better with Blake Griffin, it's highly unlikely Sterling will make a long term commitment to either Griffin or his own team.

1. James Dolan

If you want to talk about an obnoxious person, James Dolan is your man. The only reason why he is an owner of an NBA team is because Papa Dolan wanted to give his son, James Dolan a "toy," just so his son wouldn't embarrass him in public. What a great father-son relationship.

Over the years, Dolan has been known to make very controversial decisions, ranging from signing Eddy Curry to keeping Stephon Marbury. The list goes on and on, and so does the tradition of the Knicks having mediocre seasons year in and year out.

Though the Knicks have improved with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, Dolan still remains the most controversial owner in the league today, and as long as the name Dolan is attached to the Knicks' organization, the Knicks aren't going to win a championship.