The New York Knicks‘ seven-year reign as the NBA’s most valuable franchise is over.
A new arena and their fourth championship in eight years have vaulted Golden State Warriors to the top of the Forbes list.
It marks the first time in more than two decades that another team outside the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers has topped the list.
The Warriors overtook the Knicks after experiencing a 25-percent jump in value. From $5.6 billion in 2021, Joe Lacob’s franchise is now worth $7 billion.
After missing the playoffs, the Knicks only made a 5-percent increase in value from $5.8 to $6.1 billion.
The Warriors’ championship run generated a historic $765 million in revenue and $206 million in operating income in their first full season in the Chase Center.
In contrast, the Knicks earned $452 million in revenue and $155 million in operating income.
If there’s still any doubt the Warriors are now the golden team in the NBA, just take a look at their $150 million revenue from arena sponsorships and advertising, double any other team. Stephen Curry and his crew were the hottest tickets in town last season, pulling in more than $250 million from premium seating.
Despite the Lakers not also advancing, they still enjoyed a 7-percent bump in value. From $5.5 billion in 2021, the Jeanie Buss-ran franchise is now estimated at $5.9 billion.
The Chicago Bulls ($4.1 billion) and last season’s runner-up, Boston Celtics ($4 billion), rounded up the top five most valuable NBA franchises.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets was the only NBA franchise that lost money (-$34 million operating income) last season. Still, Joe Tsai’s franchise increased in value by nine percent, from $3.2 to $3.5 billion.
Their disaster of a season heavily contributed to their loss of income.
But hopes are high that the Knicks, with the arrival of the budding star Jalen Brunson plugging their point guard hole, will make a more significant jump this season in income, especially if they return to the playoffs.
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