The New York Knicks are the most valuable team in the NBA, according to Forbes. Forbes says that the average value for an NBA team is $2.12 billion, which is up 14 percent from last year.
The Knicks are valued at $4.6 billion, up 15 percent from last year. The Los Angeles Lakers are second with a value of $4.4 billion and the Golden State Warriors are third with a value of $4.3 billion. The rest of the top 10 are the Chicago Bulls ($3.2 billion), Boston Celtics ($3.1 billion), Los Angeles Clippers ($2.6 billion), Brooklyn Nets ($2.5 billion), Houston Rockets ($2.475 billion), Dallas Mavericks ($2.4 billion), and the Toronto Raptors ($2.1 billion).
This is the fifth year in a row that the Knicks have taken the number one spot on Forbes list. The Dallas Cowboys are the only team in America that are worth more than the Knicks. The New York Yankees are the only other team that’s worth more than the Lakers and the Warriors.
“Despite the noise around lower TV ratings and business problems in China, NBA franchise values continue to soar and are up 14 percent, compared to an 11-percent increase for NFL teams and eight percent in Major League Baseball,” Forbes senior editor Kurt Badenhausen said.
What’s surprising about this story is the Knicks had the worst record in the NBA last year and they are still the most valuable team in the league. They aren’t doing any better this season. They are 17-37 and 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have finished near or at the bottom of the conference for the last five years.
If this trend continues, it will be interesting to see if they can hold the number one spot on Forbes’ list next year.
