Long shut out of ownership stakes, private equity is gaining a bigger share of the National Basketball Association.

To prepare for the start of the NBA postseason later this week, we gathered data to show each playoff team's ties to private equity, if applicable, as well as the primary owners of each team and team valuations.  
Private equity firms were first granted access to stakes in NBA teams in January 2021, following an initiative led by league commissioner Adam Silver. Previously, individuals associated with PE firms could own stakes or entire teams, but PE firms as an entity couldn't take part.

Under the new league rules, PE firms can own up to 20% of a single NBA franchise, and no team can collectively have greater than 30% of its ownership in the hands of multiple firms.

Private equity firms own stakes in four of this season's playoff-bound NBA teams, while private investment firm executives hold ownership shares in another four franchises.

This year is the third season that will include the NBA's play-in format for teams seeded 7-10. That means the 7- and 8-seeds are determined in a series of one-game playoff battles to round out the field of teams advancing to the postseason.

Related read: PE firms flocked to lucrative sports, media and music deals in 2021

Featured image by Sandro Di Carlo Darsa/Getty Images

This article originally appeared on PitchBook News