Forbes magazine and the economics of the NBA
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As I mentioned Wednesday, Forbes magazine came out with its list of the most valuable NBA teams. According to Forbes, the Lakers are worth $584 million (second only to the New York Knicks at an estimated $613 million), and the purple and gold had $47.9 million in operating income, the second-best among 30 NBA clubs.
Meanwhile, the Clippers were estimated to have $10.7 million in operating income on revenue of $99 million. The magazine pegs the value of Donald Sterling’s team at $297 million, a lowly 25th on the list. The least valuable team on Forbes’ list was the Milwaukee Bucks at $278 million.
Forbes estimates that 10 of the league’s 30 teams are generating operating losses. Here’s a breakdown of Forbes’ top- and bottom-feeders:
Top five NBA teams (profit from operations):
1. Chicago Bulls ($55.4 million)
2. Lakers ($47.9 million)
3. Detroit Pistons ($40.4 million)
4. Houston Rockets ($31.2 million)
5. New York Knicks ($29.6 million)
Bottom five NBA teams (loss from operations)
1. Denver Nuggets (-$26.3 million)
2. Dallas Mavericks (-$13.6 million)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (-$9.4 million)
4. Indiana Pacers (-$6.5 million)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (-$5.7 million)
-- Barry Stavro
