55 - Shimon Mizrahi, President, Maccabi Tel Aviv: Israel is a dominant basketball market and Maccabi is the top team in the country. The Maccabi fan base is worldwide and they have become an attractive launching point for NBA careers and are extremely competitive in luring players away from the NBA. Maccabi will play an instrumental role in whatever European expansion plans the NBA may be considering, as Maccabi is one of the more profitable brands in international basketball.
54 - Donna Orender, President, WNBA: While the WNBA is far from a mainstream hit, the league is growing and awareness of the brand and the sport continues to grow. While the women's game is nowhere near as popular as the men's game, the WNBA's influence on the female sports fans is significant and advertisers and sponsors continue to support the league.
53 - Joe Dumars, General Manager, Detroit Pistons: Dumars is still one of the best executives in the business, despite a down year last year. Dumars' influence on the game and how other teams build and make transactions is real. It will be interesting to see if all the money he spent this summer yields success and keeps him on this list, or if he slips to the middle tier of executives.
52 - Candace Parker, Player, Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA): She isn't quite LeBron James, but Parker is a star and her influence over the women's game is profound. She is extremely marketable, and a very solid basketball player. As the face of the WNBA she will be a key component to growing the WNBA fan base into a more mainstream product.
51. – Lon Babby, Partner, Williams & Connolly: Lon Babby had a solid summer, netting Hedo Turkoglu $53 million in a tough economy. Babby's client list includes Grant Hill, Ray Allen and Tim Duncan and more than $141 million in guaranteed contract dollars. Baby's stable of talent is getting thin, but with his track record of landing his clients big dollars he could be poised to land a big player in the 2010 Draft.
50 - John Hollinger, Analyst, ESPN: Hollinger has changed the game in regards to statistical analysis of players. His PER formula is a standard in NBA discussions and it has launched a new era in player evaluations. Hollinger is one of several new generation stat guys (including Roland Beech of 82games.com, Kevin Pelton and Bradford Doolittle of Basketball Prospectus) that are changing how the game is viewed from a coaching and performance standpoint and in terms of how players are compensated.
49 - Andy Miller, President and Founder ASM Sports: Miller counts NBA stars Chauncey Billups and Kevin Garnett among his very deep roster of clients. With more than $135 million in guaranteed contract dollars, Miller is one of the power players in the agent business. Miller's stars are getting older, but Miller's reputation for taking care of his clients is almost unmatched.
48 - Aaron Goodwin, CEO of Goodwin Sports Management: Goodwin counts NBA mega-star Dwight Howard and future mega-star Kevin Durant as his top shelf clients. However, he has more than $125 million in guaranteed contract dollars and is one of the biggest names in the agent game. As Dwight Howard's agent he influences the direction of one of the fastest-rising stars in the sports marketing world and will only get stronger as Kevin Durant matures.
47 – Kevin Weinberg, CEO, iHoops: iHoops is still in its infancy, but the vision of the group is profound. Backed by the NBA, the NCAA and virtually every organizing body in basketball, iHoops is tasked with putting together a structure for basketball that should change the game at almost every level. The initial stages will include teaching and certification, but could grow to be a governing body for the sport in the US. With financial support from Nike and adidas, Weiberg will preside over a hefty budget and have the ear of virtually every power player in the game.
46 - NBA Trainers - Grover, Abunassar, Ravin, Thorpe: The four dominant private coaches are Tim Grover (Attack Athletics), Joe Abunassar (Impact Basketball), Idan Ravin and David Thorpe (PTC at IMG Basketball). Collectively these men prepare more than 90% of the NBA's top players and rookies each summer. Not only do they guide players' off-season training and development, many of them help promote players to teams both foreign and domestic. NBA head coaches come and go but the relationship these guys have with players in almost every aspect of their careers is unmatched.
45 - Bill Duffy, Founder, BDA Sports: Duffy is one of the more recognized names in the NBA agent business, sometimes for the wrong reasons. Duffy's client list includes Steve Nash, Baron Davis and Greg Oden and with more than $296 million in guaranteed money owed to BDA Sports clients, makes Duffy and BDA Sports one of the real power brokers in the NBA. Duffy is a relentless recruiter and tends to have a marquee player in virtually every draft class.
44 - Mark Bartelstein, CEO and Founder, Priority Sports: Bartelstein owns the middle class of the NBA, with more than 70 NBA players under management and a guaranteed contract base of more than $176 million, Bartelstein and Priority Sports is known for its aggressive business approach and connections around the league. There is not a lot of star power at Priority Sports – Danny Granger, David Lee and Nick Young are thier bigger names.
43 – HoopsHype: Jorge Sierra and Raúl Barrigón power one of the most-trafficked NBA websites on the internet. Their daily rumors page is a must-read for NBA executives and power brokers, wielding a tremendous amount of influence on how the NBA is perceived by fans and executives. Commonly referred to as "The Bible of the NBA," if HoopsHype prints it, it will be circulated. HoopsHype can make the smallest of news story a major league-wide event. Not bad for two guys in Spain.
42 - Timothy J. Leiweke, CEO, AEG: AEG is the dominant force in sports arenas. With more than 35 major event arenas under management, AEG will be the driving force behind expansion into Europe and China for the NBA. AEG controls The Staples Center in L.A. and dozens of other NBA venues, as well as the 02 Arena in London and the 02 World in Germany.
41 – Tim Chen, CEO, NBA China: The NBA is still developing their China strategy, but having a business presence near some of the largest consumers of basketball products only makes sense. Chen is responsible for most of the business done in China and is a key component in developing an NBA-sponsored league in China. The NBA has taken a very slow and deliberate approach in China looking for the best way to complement the existing Chinese Basketball Association.
40 - Derrick Rose, Player, Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose will enter the NBA season with a new distinction as one of the top four pitchmen in the league. Rose's everyday persona, demeanor and life-like size have made him an instant hit in the shoe world and his success as a rookie on the court is fueling an up swell that could turn Rose into one of the more marketed NBA players this season. adidas is responding with a lot of support behind Rose and in Chicago's urban-centric market Rose has been a hit. If he can help power the Bulls into serious playoff consideration his stock and influence could be on the rise.
39 - George and Panayiotis Angelopoulos, Owners, Olympiacos Piraeus: The Greek brothers that own Olympiacos are among the wealthiest men in the world with a combined net worth over $3 billion. The shipping and steel magnates made the NBA pause last summer when they showered $30 million on Atlanta Hawks free agent Josh Childress and were able to steal away Linas Kleiza from the Denver Nuggets and Von Wafer from the Houston Rockets this summer. The brothers have established themselves as a real threat to NBA free agency and that does not seem to be going away anytime soon.
38 - Leon Rose and Henry Thomas, Creative Artists Agency: The news that Henry Thomas has merged his business with Leon Rose and CAA makes CAA one of the bigger agency in the business. Combined CAA now has more than $208 million in guaranteed contract dollars and has a client list that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh the jewels of the 2010 free agent class, making CAA the lynchpin for next summer's spending.
37 - Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, TV Analysts, ESPN/ABC: As the primary voices during NBA broadcasts on both ESPN and ABC, Van Gundy and Jackson have become huge influencers on how the game is perceived by fans. ESPN has given their broadcasters a huge amount of freedom and Van Gundy has turned that into must-see TV. Whether it's social commentary, officiating or player evaluation Van Gundy and Jackson have made televised NBA games interesting again and the rating for their broadcasts show fans are tuning in.
36 - The Pump Brothers - David and Dana Pump: The Pump Brothers own grassroots basketball. Their influence on the rising stars of the game is almost unmatched. Their scouting services and camps are the must-attend events for rising basketball players and they are the guys to know in amateur athletics. They are also the guys to know if you're looking for a coaching job in college basketball. Everyone in college basketball seems to owe them a favor and they are among the most influential people in the college game.
