*(CNN) — The Golden State Warriors are the most valuable franchise in the NBA, according to Forbes.
It means for the first time since Forbes started valuing NBA franchises over 20 years ago, a team other than the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers top the rankings.
The Warriors are now worth $7 billion, said Forbes, 25% more than last year. The team generated $765 million in revenue and $206 million operating income during the 2021-2022 season, both the most in NBA history.
The Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in eight years in June, led by talisman and face of the franchise Stephen Curry.
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The New York Knicks, who have topped each of Forbes’ last seven NBA franchise rankings, came second with a value of $6.1 billion followed by the Los Angeles Lakers with a value of $5.9 billion.
The Chicago Bulls ($4.1 billion) and the Boston Celtics ($4 billion) complete the top five, with the average NBA franchise is now worth $2.86 billion, 15% more than a year ago.
Forbes says the NBA is “back on its pre-Covid growth trajectory” and the league is expected to sign a new media deal in 2025-26 that will be worth at least double the current deal of $2.66 billion a year.
For its methodology, Forbes says: “The information used to compile our valuations primarily came from the teams, sports bankers, media consultants and public documents, such as arena lease agreements and bond documents.”
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