This might come as shocking news, but not all NBA owners run their businesses well, make smart decisions, create a positive organizational culture, respect fans and win games. These five do. (We'll name the worst five next week.) 
 

Now that Cuban has learned to shut up and not let his mouth get in the way of a title, he's become the perfect owner. Not only is he willing and eager to spend money to win, he really, really cares about his team. That's why Dallas fans love him. His players, too. His passion for basketball and the Mavs is genuine and contagious. Any team would be lucky to have this dude in charge.
 

Buss earned his spot on this list with his commitment to winning and entertaining, both of which the Lakers have done extraordinarily well in his 32 years as owner. He has shelled out money for the likes of Magic, Kareem, Shaq and Kobe. He has hired Pat Riley, Jerry West and Phil Jackson and kept meddling to a minimum. The result? Ten championships. But there now are reasons to be concerned about Buss' Lakers empire, thanks to a bloated payroll, an aging roster and the growing influence of his son, Jim, in the organization.
 

With four titles in the past 13 years, the Spurs should be held up as a model for all teams in small markets who don't believe they can compete. Yes, striking lottery gold with David Robinson and Tim Duncan was a nice bit of luck. But creating a classy, community-friendly, professional environment is one way to retain stars and lure quality role players. San Antonio's no-nonsense, low-drama culture is partly a product of Holt and the people he hired, like coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford.
 

Haven't heard of him? That's OK. Alexander, who made a fortune on Wall Street, isn't a flamboyant owner, but he has run the Rockets with good business sense for nearly two decades. Houston has won two championships and had only three losing seasons under Alexander, who was chosen the NBA's best owner by Forbes magazine in 2008. The franchise's value has skyrocketed under his guidance. Of course, having Yao Ming on his team helped a little bit.

He might be a college dropout, but he's no dummy. A billionaire through his family business of Carnival cruises, Arison's best move was hiring Pat Riley and getting out of the way. Riley runs the organization and helped woo the Big Three into joining forces in South Beach.