If you had to name the three NBA franchises worth the most money, you would have been wise to choose the franchises in the three biggest markets.
Forbes put together the list of the world’s 50 most valuable sports franchises. The first takeaway from this should be that it’s good to own major international soccer powers — Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona were the three most valuable of any franchises — or pretty much any NFL team.
But three NBA teams did sneak onto the list.
The Knicks were the first NBA team to come in at No. 23, worth $1.1 billion. Next up was the Lakers at No. 31, worth $1 billion. The only other NBA franchise on the list was the Bulls at No. 47 ($800 million).
Value from owning an NBA team follows the basics of real estate — location, location, location. More fans equals larger local television deals, more lucrative sponsorship deals and the ability to charge more for tickets. It means you can spend a little more on your team… or just turn a nice profit from it. We’re looking at you, Reinsdorf.
