Knicks Remain NBA's Most Valuable Franchise for Fourth Straight Year on Forbes' List
The Knicks remain the NBA's most valuable franchise for a fourth straight year and are worth $4 billion, according to Forbes.
The money magazine released its list of NBA team values for 2019 on Tuesday, sharing that the Knicks' value increased 11% from last year. The team ties the Yankees for the second-most valuable franchise in the nation. The Cowboys, worth $5 billion, are the top franchise.
Forbes cites the Knicks' $1 billion renovation to Madison Square Garden in 2013, the team's local cable deal and premium prices for tickets, suites and sponsorships for their ability to stay at the top of the NBA list.
The Lakers remain in second place on Forbes' list while worth $3.7 billion, up 12% from last year. The Warriors ($3.5 billion), Bulls ($2.9 billion) and Celtics ($2.8 million) round out the top five.
The average NBA team is worth $1.9 billion, which is a 13% increase from last year.
Here's the top 10 most valuable NBA franchises:
1. Knicks ($4 billion)
2. Lakers ($3.7 billion)
3. Warriors ($3.5 billion)
4. Bulls ($2.9 billion)
5. Celtics ($2.8 billion)
6. Nets ($2.3 billion)
7. Rockets ($2.2 billion)
8. Clippers ($2.15 billion)
9. Mavericks ($1.9 billion)
10. Heat ($1.7 billion)