Lakers Ranked Forbes’ 31st Most Valuable Professional Sports Franchise

In the annual list of most valuable professional sports franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers ranked 31st in the world in the 2013 edition. According to Forbes, the Lakers are worth approximately $1 billion, which would make them the 31st most valuable team in the world and the second most valuable NBA franchise (New York Knicks).

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Here’s what Forbes had to say for the Lakers in their latest financial power rankings;

The Lakers are in a transition phase with the February death of team patriarch Jerry Buss. He bought the Lakers in 1979 for $20 million and led the team to 16 NBA Finals appearances. The Lakers’ revenue surged this past season in the first year of their new television deal with Time Warner Cable, which could be worth $5 billion over 25 years.

The top of the list is predominately filled with NFL and professional soccer teams, but even seeing the L.A. Dodgers valued higher than the Lakers was a little surprising. Still, the uncertainty following the death of Dr. Buss does leave things up in the air a little bit. Combine that with the departure of Dwight Howard, who was supposed to be the next great, marketable star in Los Angeles, The loss of that star will certainly decrease their potential value, so until they’re able to get a new All-Star-type player to carry the team into the future, the Lakers might have trouble soaring in value.

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