The National Basketball Association (NBA) is basketball’s elite competition. It is the most-watched basketball league globally and is home to 30 of the most recognizable teams on the planet. Should you wish to become the owner of one of those teams, you would need at least $1.6 billion but as much as $7 billion because NBA teams have immense earning power. Indeed, the five most valuable NBA teams have a combined net worth of $27.1 billion and combined revenue tipping the scales at almost $2.4 billion.
American business magazine Forbes compiles an annual report showing the most valuable NBA franchises. It bases its figures on several factors, including stadium deals, television deals, the team’s brand, operating income, and other financial metrics such as debt.
Golden State Warriors – $7 billion
The Golden State Warriors started life as the Philadelphia Warriors in 1946, changed to the San Francisco Warriors in 1962, before becoming the Golden State Warriors in 1971. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber paid $450 million for the Golden State Warriors in 2010, so a $7 billion valuation is a healthy return on that investment. The Warriors are one of the most successful NBA teams in history, with seven NBA Championships, which makes them the cornerstone of any viable March Madness betting strategy. Indeed, the Warriors have featured in six NBA finals since 2015, winning four and losing two.
Warriors have a loyal fanbase thanks, in part, to the team’s continued success. The team enjoyed $257 million in gate receipts alone, which more than covered the roster’s $169 million wage bill. Success also attracts lucrative sponsorship deals, with Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten paying tens of millions of dollars to be the Warriors’ main sponsor.
New York Knicks – $6.1 billion
The New York Knicks are ranked second in the NBA with a $6.1 valuation, despite having not reached the NBA finals since 1999 and having only won two titles since joining the NBA in 1946. Madison Square Garden Sports has owned the Knicks since 1997 and is highly business savvy.
While the Knicks pulled in $124 million less through the gate than the Warriors, the Madison Square Garden Sports corporation has fingers in many pies, including the New York Rangers, its own game broadcasting company, and a strong presence throughout college sports.
Los Angeles Lakers – $5.9 billion
The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s most successful franchise in terms of NBA titles and final appearances. The Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics on 17 championships but have also been the runner-up on 15 occasions.
Over the years, some of the NBA’s biggest stars have pulled on the famous yellow Lakers jersey. They include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, the late Kobe Bryant, and, more recently, the legendary LeBron James.
The Lakers are a big draw for television networks in the U.S. and globally, where a significant percentage of their $465 million revenue stems.
Chicago Bulls – $4.1 billion
The Chicago Bulls are the only NBA team to reach multiple NBA finals and not lose. Bulls have competed in six NBA Championships and won all six. They were the dominating force in basketball in the 1990s, winning six titles between 1991-1998. Of course, much of that success was due to having Michael Jordan at their disposal, the iconic figure who became the first billionaire player in NBA history.
Although the current Bulls team is a shadow of the dominant 1990s Bulls, the period of success attracted millions of global supporters and turned the franchise into one of the biggest brands in world sports.
Boston Celtics – $4 billion
The Boston Celtics are one of the NBA’s original eight teams and have been in business since 1946. The Celtics have 17 NBA championship titles in their history and were the number-one team by some distance in the 1960s. Celtics fans saw their team win the NBA Championship every year in the 1960s, apart from 1967 when the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled an otherwise perfect decade.
Like most historically successful sports teams, the Celtics’ long and illustrious history means they have an immense fanbase, advertising power, and flexibility to negotiate massive television deals.
