The NBA will tip off a new season Tuesday night with three franchises worth more than $5 billion.
Based on Forbes’ most recent list of the most valuable NBA franchises, the New York Knicks lead the pack with a $5.8 billion valuation, a 16% increase from the previous season.
The NBA’s 30 teams head into the season worth an average $2.48 billion — up 13% year-over-year — based on the 2021 list. Forbes has yet to unveil its 2022 rankings.
- Joe Lacob and Peter Guber’s Golden State Warriors are the second-most valuable in the NBA with a $5.6 billion valuation.
- The Los Angeles Lakers — owned by a group that includes the Buss Family Trusts, Mark Walter, and Todd Boehly — are the third-most valuable at $5.5 billion.
- Jerry Reinsdorf’s Chicago Bulls round out the top four with a $3.65 billion valuation, an 11% increase year-over-year.
A first for the league: All five Christmas Day games will be shown on ABC. Viewers can watch them all on ESPN as well.
Big Deals
NBA owners also secured a record $1.46 billion in sponsorship deals for the 2021-22 season.
Introduced during the 2017-2018 season, jersey patch deals are projected to bring in more than $225 million this season for the NBA’s 30 teams.
In September 2021, the Lakers secured a five-year jersey patch deal worth more than $100 million with South Korean food line Bibigo, while the Brooklyn Nets landed an agreement with brokerage platform Webull worth roughly $30 million per year.
