For a team affiliated with the National Basketball Association (NBA), the challenges of managing travel logistics for a road game can be immense, as not just the players, but also dozens of support staff and other equipment must be transported to an opponent’s stadium. As transporting this massive number of personnel and cargo onboard commercial flights would be both prohibitively expensive and impractical to do, NBA teams often turn to private jets
to solve this logistical problem.

Traditionally, NBA teams, much like those of the National Football League (NFL), have relied on charters from full-service network carriers or dedicated charter airlines like Eastern Airlines and Omni Air International. Unlike NFL teams, which can have much larger rosters and even more equipment and support personnel, NBA teams are typically able to charter narrowbody aircraft instead of widebodies. This provides them with significantly more flexibility when it comes to chartering aircraft.

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A creative, but expensive, solution to a logistical challenge

Nonetheless, the solution for some NBA teams has been to own and operate private jets, which provide the ultimate level of flexibility for a team that may need to quickly adjust its travel schedule for any reason. While a plane chartered from United could be stranded as a result of a delay, private jet operations allow an NBA team to be on the move whenever it needs to be. Unsurprisingly, these aircraft come with a hefty price tag and are, as a result, limited to a few teams with the most extensive travel challenges and the deepest pockets.

While the earliest private jet purchases by modern NBA teams only date back a couple of decades ago, the idea has caught on, and more and more franchises have decided to purchase aircraft. Let’s take a deeper look at the NBA teams that operate private jets and everything that they bring to the table.

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A trailblazer for NBA private jet usage

The story of dedicated NBA private jet usage dates back to the early 2000s when Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believed there was a better solution to the team’s logistics problem. The billionaire, who purchased the team in 2000 from Ross Perot, Jr., was quick to acquire a Boeing 757 and deck out the jet in a customized Mavericks livery.

Inside the fuselage, players can enjoy comfortable first-class seating alongside a full-service weight room for exercise and a fully-equipped athletic training room. The aircraft is not only a valuable and efficient mode of transportation but also a symbol of owner Mark Cuban’s dedication to and support for the basketball franchise. In an interview with Business Jet Traveler back in 2010, the executive had the following words to share regarding the aircraft:

“When you are on the road as much as an NBA team has to be, the ability to be comfortable, get rest, and have enough room for basic treatment of physical problems gives us a competitive advantage.”

Mark Cuban credits himself with developing the strategic vision for the aircraft but indicated that others had designed the specific interior configuration. What Cuban would share, however, is that the cabin accommodated players who were over seven feet tall, and had additional room for meetings and coaching sessions. Cuban indicated that there are some features onboard the aircraft that were to remain a secret, to prevent other teams from finding out about what he believes gives the Mavericks such a unique advantage.

Some brief history of the aircraft in question

The Boeing 757-200 which Mark Cuban has leased for the Mavericks for over a decade now bears registration N801DM and was first delivered back in August 1993 to Spanish flag carrier Iberia. The plane in question is over 30 years old, so the stress of not flying daily (which it would be doing for a commercial airline) will likely help extend the airframe’s lifespan. Over the next few decades, the aircraft would be leased for operations from all the following operators:

  • Pace Airlines
  • Elan Express
  • Parallel Express
  • DSG Aviation II LLC

All of these operators flew the Mavericks’ jet for years, carrying the team to and from its first NBA championship in 2011, when the team was led by star power forward Dirk Nowitzki. Last year, the plane again carried the team to the NBA finals, when the Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving-led team was defeated by the Boston Celtics in five games.

Other NBA teams that operate private jets

The Dallas Mavericks are not the only NBA team to own private jets, but not all teams use their private aircraft exclusively for team travel to away games. Some teams, like the Los Angeles Lakers, own private aircraft that are not large enough or practical enough to transport the entire organization.

Back in 2017, Jeanie Buss, the team’s owner, acquired a Gulfstream G550, which is often used to fly some players to games but is regularly used for other events around the country. According to Amalfi Jets, the aircraft features a customized interior designed for players of NBA-caliber height. Other teams that operate private jets include all the following organizations:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Golden State Warriors

While some may be quick to note that NBA teams having their own private jets provides an advantage in recruiting top players or maintaining player health during transportation to games, they are still extremely uneconomical to operate. As a result, the NBA negotiates contracts in bulk with Delta Air Lines, with Sports Business Journal reporting that as many as 27 of the 30 teams in the league charter 757s from the Atlanta-based airline.

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