Lakers Still Tops With Forbes

Winning a third consecutive championship helped the Lakers remain the most valuable team in the NBA for the second consecutive year, Forbes magazine said.

The Lakers are worth $426 million, 6% more than last year when they passed the New York Knicks in the magazine’s rankings. The Knicks are second this year at $398 million, followed by the Chicago Bulls at $323 million.

The Lakers were boosted by their third consecutive run through the playoffs when they had 10 home games, Forbes senior editor Kurt Badenhausen said. Ticket sales and concessions from each playoff game add about $1.5 million in revenue for the team, Badenhausen said.

“It’s staggering the amount of money a team can generate during the playoffs,” Badenhausen said. “Teams really rely on that, and how they go in the playoffs can determine if they’ll make a profit that year.”

The Clippers, who also play at Staples Center, are ranked 24th with a value of $205 million.

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What They’re Worth

The list of 2003 NBA franchise values, compiled by Forbes magazine (* worth in millions):

*--* Rk Team Worth* Rk Team Worth* 1 Lakers $426 16 Utah Jazz $226 2 New York Knicks 398 17 Cleveland Cavaliers 222 3 Chicago Bulls 323 18 New Jersey Nets 218 4 Dallas Mavericks 304 19 Toronto Raptors 217 5 Philadelphia 76ers 298 20 Minnesota Timberwolves 213 6 Washington Wizards 278 21 Denver Nuggets 209 7 Boston Celtics 274 22 Seattle SuperSonics 207 8 Phoenix Suns 272 23 Atlanta Hawks 206 9 Portland Trail Blazers 270 24 Clippers 205 10 Sacramento Kings 259 25 Memphis Grizzlies 198 11 Detroit Pistons 258 26 Orlando Magic 197 12 Houston Rockets 255 27 Golden State Warriors 176 13 Miami Heat 250 28 New Orleans Hornets 172 14 Indiana Pacers 246 29 Milwaukee Bucks 168 15 San Antonio Spurs 242

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