The Sporting Class: How the NBA's Masters of the Universe Box Each Other Out

Franchise valuations are going up, up, up — and the first $10 billion team can't be far away. But inside the owners' meetings, though, generational warfare is underway: Can A-Rod snag the Timberwolves from the iron grip of an 83-year-old billionaire? Will the Celtics make private equity sexy? And how long until every NBA game is on national TV? Pablo Torre & The Expiring Assets (aka John Skipper and David Samson with a cold) are back to appraise Gollum's ring and stare into James Dolan's all-seeing Eye of Seventh Avenue.