The NBA’s most important source of cash

Apollo Global’s Jeffrey Epstein problem, part 1

This kicks off an ongoing TrueHoop series on Apollo Global, the NBA, and Jeffrey Epstein.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8

PART 9 PART 10 PART 11 PART 12 PART 13 PART 14 PART 15 PART 16

PART 17 PART 18 PART 19 PART 20 PART 21

BY HENRY ABBOTT

To the top executives of the NBA, Apollo Global is arguably the most important source of money on planet Earth. The billionaires who run the 76ers and Hawks made fortunes at Apollo. Apollo was born out of Drexel Burnham Lambert, whose alumni are a who’s who of the billionaire set. The banker who raised money for Tilman Fertitta to buy the Rockets worked with Apollo’s founders at Drexel. Apollo is around the corner from league headquarters; NBA commissioner Adam Silver is still close to his college roommate from Duke, who is Apollo’s co-president.

Anyone who cares about the “behind the curtain” NBA should care about Apollo’s recent crisis: According to an outside investigation, Apollo’s founder, longtime CEO, and chairman, Leon Bl…