“New York Knicks stay most valuable NBA franchise”: Golden State Warriors and Knickerbockers take top 2 spots among most valuable NBA franchises as Lakers finish 3rd

A senior editor at Forbes calculated the net worth of all NBA franchises and has placed the New York Knicks at the top, Warriors 2nd and Lakers 3rd. 

The NBA as whole has come a long way since its inception in the 1946-47 season. Back then, the NBA wasn’t really looked to as a premier sport, not drawing too much attention from media. The MLB and NFL were the main draws in the United States in that era. 

Fast-forward to today and the NBA makes over $8 billion after the curtains close on a single season. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the NBA financially, as they lost a couple billion dollars due to the lack of fans in arenas and many more factors like TV deals. 

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Teams have never been as valuable as they are today. Of course, this is due to economic inflation, but it is also attributed to the widespread consumption of basketball globally. Out of the four major American leagues, the NBA is followed the most across the globe by a mile. 

New York Knicks take the number 1 spot on the Forbes ‘most valuable NBA franchises’ list

A senior editor at Forbes calculated the net worth of all 30 NBA franchises as of 2020. According to the list, the New York Knicks still reign supreme in net worth out of all 30 teams. They are closely followed by the Golden State Warriors and then the Los Angeles Lakers. 

New NBA team values via @Forbes:

1. Knicks: $5B
2. Warriors: $4.7B
3. Lakers: $4.6B
4. Bulls: $3.3B
5. Celtics: $3.2Bhttps://t.co/0s8Z7KI9S2 pic.twitter.com/cGXzaoTLgQ

— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) February 10, 2021

The New York Knicks are valued at a whopping $5 billion, while the Golden State Warriors sit at $4.7 billion. The Warriors’ rise to the upper echelons of NBA franchises can be attributed to their successful 2010s. The Steph Curry era skyrocketed the Warriors’ value to surpass even that of the Lakers’. 

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The Lakers boast a net worth of $4.6 billion. When it was bought by Jerry Buss in 1979, the Lakers were worth $67.5 million at the time. 

Other teams like the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics boast a value of over $3 billion due to their championship pedigree. Michael Jordan merchandise is perhaps what is keeping the Bulls afloat even in the 2020s.