The Golden State Warriors have claimed the crown as the NBA’s most valuable team, with an eye-popping value of $9.14 billion according to Sportico’s latest rankings.
That’s not just big for basketball – it makes the Warriors the second-most valuable team in all American sports, trailing only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys at $10.3 billion.
The New York Knicks ($8.3 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($8.07 billion) round out the NBA’s top three.
What’s really incredible is how fast these teams are growing in value. The average NBA team is now worth $4.6 billion – nearly double what they were worth just four years ago.
The Brooklyn Nets made the biggest jump this year, with their value shooting up 43% to $5.7 billion. A lot of that has to do with their home court – the Barclays Center was just named the world’s highest-grossing arena.
Here’s something interesting: NBA teams are actually worth more compared to their revenue than any other major U.S. sports league. They’re beating out even the NFL in that department.
Most of these valuable teams own their own arenas, which helps boost their worth. The Lakers and Celtics are the only teams in the top 10 that don’t control their venues.
The Warriors’ value got an extra boost this year thanks to their new WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, which starts playing next year.
At the other end of the list, you’ll find:
– Minnesota Timberwolves ($3.29 billion)
– New Orleans Pelicans ($3.09 billion)
– Memphis Grizzlies ($3.06 billion)
But here’s the thing – even being last on this list means you’re worth over $3 billion. That’s pretty remarkable when you think about it.
The rest of the top 10 includes the LA Clippers ($5.68 billion), Boston Celtics ($5.66 billion), Chicago Bulls ($5.56 billion), Miami Heat ($5 billion), Houston Rockets ($4.77 billion), and Toronto Raptors ($4.66 billion).
These valuations include everything from real estate to related businesses like WNBA teams, showing just how massive the business of basketball has become.
