Heat’s Micky Arison named next Chairman of NBA Board of Governors
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison will soon be able to add to his resume in the basketball world.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday night that Arison has been unanimously elected as the next Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors. Arison will assume the position following the league’s Board of Governors meeting in September 2026.
Arison, who is the second-longest tenured current NBA owner at 31 years, will take over for Toronto Raptors owner Larry Tanenbaum as the Chairman. Tanenbaum has served as the Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors since September 2017.
This will be the second time that Arison has been elected as the Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, as he also served a three-year term in the position starting in October 2005.
The NBA Board of Governors is the league’s ultimate ruling body, consisting of one representative (usually the team owner) from each of the league’s 30 franchises.
“I am grateful for Larry’s nearly three decades of stewardship of the Raptors and his commitment to helping guide our league as NBA Board Chairman over the past nine years,” Silver said Tuesday in a statement. “Micky’s long record of service on the Board, his strong relationships with his fellow team owners and his deep understanding of our game and business make him an exceptional choice to assume this important leadership role.”
This comes after Arison was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class last year.
“I look forward to working closely in this new capacity with Adam, the league office and my fellow team governors to champion our teams and players, ensuring we continue to deliver exciting and unforgettable experiences for our fans,” Arison said Tuesday in a statement on being elected as the next Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors.
Arison, 77, took control of the Heat in 1995. One of the first things Arison did after becoming the Heat’s owner was hire Pat Riley in September 1995, which ended up turning into one of Arison’s top basketball accomplishments.
With Arison in control over the last 31 years, the Heat has won three NBA championships (2006, 2012, 2013). The Heat has also made seven NBA Finals appearances and 10 Eastern Conference Finals appearances, won 16 division titles, and advanced to the playoffs 23 times.
Only the Los Angeles Lakers (six NBA championships), San Antonio Spurs (five) and Golden State Warriors (four) have won more NBA titles than the Heat over the last 30 years.
Arison’s family has been involved with the organization since his father Ted Arison brought the franchise to the NBA in 1988. Arison’s son, Nick Arison, has served as the Heat’s Chief Executive Officer since July 2011.
Away from basketball, Arison has helped lead Carnival Corporation for more than three decades. He’s currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc.
