Los Angeles Lakers Surpass New York Knicks To Become Most Valuable NBA Team

Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers have unseated the New York Knicks as the National Basketball Association's (NBA) most valuable team with an estimated worth of $900 million, according to a Forbes report released on Wednesday.

The value of the Lakers, who won NBA titles in 2009 and 2010, soared 40 percent from last year due to a blockbuster 20-year television deal with Time Warner Cable, the report said.

The Lakers, who also boast the top-earning player in 13-time All-Star Kobe Bryant, are comfortably above the second-place Knicks, whose value rose 19 percent to $780 million.

The average NBA team is worth a record $393 million, up 6.5 percent from last year, because of new television deals and the labor agreement reached last December, Forbes said.

Rounding out the top five were the Chicago Bulls at $600 million, the 2010-11 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks at $497 million and the storied Boston Celtics at $482 million.

Despite falling out of the top spot, the Knicks are the most profitable NBA team with an operating income of $75 million, comfortably above the $5.8 million league average.

The report also showed that Bryant, who is in the midst of a three-year contract with the Lakers and has deals with Nike Inc and other companies, is the top-paid NBA player with $53.2 million in total earnings.

He is followed by two-time league most valuable player LeBron James of the Miami Heat, who earned $49 million, $33 million of which came from endorsements.


The 10 most valuable NBA teams:

1. Los Angeles Lakers, $900 million

2. New York Knicks, $780 million

3. Chicago Bulls, $600 million

4. Dallas Mavericks $497 million

5. Boston Celtics, $482 million

6. Miami Heat, $457 million

7. Houston Rockets, $453 million

8. Golden State Warriors, $450 million

9. San Antonio Spurs, $418 million

10. Phoenix Suns, $395 million

(www.forbes.com/nba) (Reporting By Gene Cherry in Salvo North Carolina; Editing by Frank Pingue; To query or comment on this story email [e-mail])

Comments

[rikster]

09:26 PM on 01/25/2012

Mr Dolan has totally mismanaged the franchise. I'm not surprised it's value is low.

[MikeyJaii]

09:23 PM on 01/25/2012

Like no one saw this coming. Just wondering.. who wants to watch the knicks play.. c'mon.. Up until 2000 NYK.. can't bare to see them play anymore.

[jasev01]

07:54 PM on 01/25/2012

Why were the knicks ever valuable?  Ticket prices?

[pensando]

07:38 PM on 01/25/2012

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

[Janzee12000]

06:49 PM on 01/25/2012

Dribble-dribble. Shoot. "It's good!" Dribble-dribble. Shoot. "It's good!" Repeat..

[wylie22222]

07:45 PM on 01/25/2012

Would somebody please advise the LA Lakers that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" including the 5 NBA Championships that remain in Minneapolis! You don't get to rewrite history, and you don't have lakes - however we love your films!

[cybolt]

12:28 AM on 01/26/2012

The NBA counts them but you keep right on believing what you want.

[dcol]

06:16 PM on 01/25/2012

Sorry, can't get into a game filled with millionaire circus freaks. Raise the hoop, then maybe it will be more interesting.

[Sh00Fly]

06:27 PM on 01/25/2012

I suggest, Full-contact Basketball played in a padded hockey-rink-like court.
I got the idea from an old Battlestar Gallactica episode where they played something similar.

[Carmen Madonna Campos]

09:56 PM on 01/25/2012

yup. Starbuck's sexy boyfriend was a professional Triangle player.
so hot!
yes, i want to see that sport.

[wcsleet]

06:06 PM on 01/25/2012

Commisioner Stern blew a historic moment in NBA history. He should have made absolutely sure that Lebron James went to New York to play. (If Wade and Bosh wanted to follow him, fine.) This is strictly a business decision. Having your best player in the largest media market would have been a boom for the NBA as well as Lebron. He would still have been extremely popular and not taken the PR hit and back seat role in going to Miami on Wade's team.

[behindEnemyLines]

06:53 PM on 01/25/2012

lol bitter NY fan. I guess Melo isnt really working out for you guys...

[MikeyJaii]

09:24 PM on 01/25/2012

Yea.. Melo sucks :(

[EndRacismNow]

11:44 PM on 01/25/2012

Probably the most overrated player in the NBA. He has a lot of talent but could care less to use it to its full extent. The guy just stands around on defense.

[BraveYusuf]

08:38 PM on 01/25/2012

Dictator Stern blew a lot of things. He spent the last few years ruining the NBA ridiculous rules. I endorse the player's right to choose what team they play for. And I respect LeBron's decition. Give Pat Riley credit for recruiting him. Knicks lost HUGE opportunity

[kilgary]

05:43 PM on 01/25/2012

This article is missing one of the most important reasons for the rise in the team's value: the Lakers signed a 20 year pact with Time Warner Cable last year valued at $3 billion. That means their television rights for the local LA market bring in $150 million every year before a single ticket is sold.

[4real]

05:42 PM on 01/25/2012

It's interesting the Knicks held this spot so long considering they haven't won a championship in like thirty years. I guess high ticket prices and loyal fans keep them profitable. They need to work harder and bring a championship to NY.

[apartoflife]

05:55 PM on 01/25/2012

True but what matters is life long fans, and New York has one of the largest population of fans in the country. Just helps that New York is the most populated city in the states.

[Carmen Madonna Campos]

06:01 PM on 01/25/2012

it is THE FANS!

[leanforward]

06:02 PM on 01/25/2012

40 years!

[SantaMonican]

05:39 PM on 01/25/2012

And the Dodgers are about to fetch over a billion.

[WowJones]

05:47 PM on 01/25/2012

They play a lot more games

[SantaMonican]

05:52 PM on 01/25/2012

more land, too.

[planetjeffy]

06:54 PM on 01/25/2012

$1.6 billion
and the parking lot attendant/crook/owner only paid $400 mil
some things in life are just not fair

[Badwater]

05:31 PM on 01/25/2012

What will the value be if the Lakers lose to the Clippers tonight?

[Carmen Madonna Campos]

06:01 PM on 01/25/2012

still the same.

[Badwater]

10:49 AM on 01/26/2012

That's certainly true since the Lakers won.

[KMFIX]

05:30 PM on 01/25/2012

Aren't the Lakers in last place in the NBA right now?

[IndependentAndProud]

05:38 PM on 01/25/2012

You are misinformed.

[apartoflife]

05:56 PM on 01/25/2012

Second in their division and a winning record overall.

[Flight]

05:29 PM on 01/25/2012

I think the NBA is way over-rated anyway. Just boring. Thankfully college bb is around to really entertain and show us good games.

[bahkey]

05:41 PM on 01/25/2012

That would be hockey,baseball, golf,nascar,soccer

[apartoflife]

05:57 PM on 01/25/2012

Yeah gotta love seeing freshman flee for the pros year after year.

[bsultan]

05:28 PM on 01/25/2012

The Knicks managed to remain the most valuable franchise throughout a decade where they failed to have a winning season. That itself speaks volumes to the value of the organization. Imagine if they were actually good...

[patrickgarret]

05:42 PM on 01/25/2012

Its all about big market tv contracts.

[Zip Zinzel]

07:02 PM on 01/25/2012

The Knicks were the most valuable franchise, because they are in such a giant market, that they can make a ton of money, much more than say, Sacramento.

[Rosalee Harris]

05:18 PM on 01/25/2012

I wish the Knicks would Fire D'antoni

[pleasantlyny]

05:35 PM on 01/25/2012

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[leanforward]

06:03 PM on 01/25/2012

bet it happens