Thanks in large part to new television deals and increased global popularity, NBA franchises are being valued at higher prices than they ever have. Now, according to Forbes, the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are worth over $4 billion.
As the NBA's popularity continues to grow, so too does the value of its franchises. Forbes reports that values are up 14 percent from just last season to an average of $2.12 billion. This is significant, as the NFL and MLB saw increases of 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
As a whole, the values of NBA franchises are up nearly sixfold over the last decade, according to Forbes. And with the league's popularity continuing to rise, those figures are expected to go up in the coming seasons.
At $4.6 billion, the Knicks are still the top dog in terms of overall value. Their numbers are up 15 percent from last season.
The Lakers are currently second at $4.4 billion, which is 19 percent more than their overall worth from last year.
The Warriors, who moved into a new arena at the start of this campaign, come in third place at $4.3 billion. Notably, Golden State's value increased by 23 percent from last season.
As Forbes points out in their article, the average value for an NBA team is now north of $2 billion for the first time in the league's history. Just 10 years ago, there were no NBA franchises even valued at $1 billion.
More and more businessmen are seeing opportunity in NBA franchises, and those who have shelled out the cash to purchase a team in recent years are enjoying nice returns. All in all, while these Forbes valuations aren't exact and shouldn't be taken as gospel, this is a good sign for the league's future.
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