The Los Angeles Lakers might have missed on the big-name free agents earlier in the month, but they remain one of the most storied and revered franchises in all of sports.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
Earlier in the year, Forbes named the Lakers as the most valuable NBA team with a worth of $2.6 billion. The publication released their Top 50 list Wednesday for all sports franchises around the world and had the Lakers as the sixth highest:
6. Los Angeles Lakers
Value: $2.6 billion1-year change: 93%
Owners: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz
The team posted their worst record in franchise history at 21-61, which pushed TV ratings down 27% after a 54% drop the previous year. The Lakers still rank as the league’s most profitable team thanks to their $4 billion, 20-year TV deal with Time Warner.
In addition to their income from TWC SportsNet, the Lakers are also helped by the new TV deal the NBA signed which increased values for franchises around the league as a whole.
Although the team’s monetary value is still high, their basketball presence has plenty of room to improve. With the addition of D’Angelo Russell during the NBA Draft, plenty of optimism surrounded the Lakers. Russell’s first three games in the NBA Summer League have been plagued with turnovers with the rookie still trying to adjust to the NBA and his new teammates.
Nine other NBA teams cracked the list with the New York Knicks ($2.50 billion) also in the Top 10 at No. 8. The five franchises valued above the Lakers include Real Madrid ($3.26 billion), Dallas Cowboys ($3.20 billion), New York Yankees ($3.20 billion), Barcelona ($3.16 billion), and Manchester United ($3.10 billion).
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