He's different from those team owners who look at the revenue and profit statements; he ties his business to championships. It's best if the team can make money, but the fame and traffic that come with championships are even more important.
Even in the face of crises in his other industries, Tang Jianguo still spends big money to maintain the Portland Trail Blazers' roster, giving large contracts to players like Sabonis, Petrović, and Reggie Lewis.
For other owners, it would be difficult to maintain such a roster that's rich in potential, carries high salaries, but is actually lacking in star power—it's a lineup led by an S+ player, along with a group of A and B+ players.
Most owners would rather give large contracts to S-level and A+ level players, as the certainty is somewhat higher, and ever since the Trail Blazers lost Drexler, none of the players could come close to Ah Gan.
If there were a luxury tax in this era, the Trail Blazers would certainly be paying through the nose.
