New Jersey Nets Financial Statements

Here is a really nice article about the financial status of the New Jersey Nets from 2004 to 2006. You can also download the financial reports for those years in PDF. With the NBA lockout in full swing, the article does a nice job (after the corrections) of showing that while a team may claim a financial loss, that does not mean that the team is making an economic loss. Sometimes this difference is missed in the discussion, and thus what is claimed as an accounting loss is from an economic standpoint actually a gain. While the New Jersey Nets may not be a typical example (or maybe they are), it does point to the bigger picture in regard to whether the NBA economic system as it stands is really "broke" as the NBA Commissioner claims.

Additionally, here is an analysis (using Forbes data) of the NBA's financial situation compared to other sports leagues a piece disputing the NBA claims of financial troubles.