As NBA teams make some major moves over the offseason, a potentially less-noticeable change is already occurring throughout the league.
According to commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA is continuing to move away from the use of the term "owner" to describe those with controlling interest of teams in favor of the terms "Governor of the team" and "alternate Governor."
The change was made due to concerns that the term "owner" can be viewed as racially insensitive in a league where the vast majority of players are African-American and the majority of owners are Caucasian. While the league itself stopped using the term years ago, individual teams are now starting to follow suit; something Silver was asked about.
"I don't want to overreact to the term because, as I said earlier, people end up twisting themselves into knots avoiding the use of the word 'owner,'" Silver said, via TMZ Sports. "But we moved away from that term years ago with the league. We call our team owners 'Governors' of the team and 'alternate Governors. So I think it makes sense. As I said, I don't want to overreact ... but I'm sensitive to it, and I think to the extent that teams are moving away from the term, we'll stick with using Governor."
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is an example of a prominent player that has recently spoke out against the league's previous use of the word owner.
"You shouldn't say owner," Green said on an appearance on HBO's The Shop. "[It should be called] CEO or Chairman. When you think of a basketball team ... you think of the players that make that team."
To follow along with this trend, the Philadelphia 76ers recently changed the title of their owners to managing partners, and Steve Ballmer is listed as chairman on the Los Angeles Clippers official website. Other teams will likely follow in the near future.
