Warriors, Knicks top CNBC's Official NBA Team Valuations for 2025
The average National Basketball Association team is worth $4.66 billion, according to CNBC Sport's official NBA valuations. This places the league between the average National Football League team, worth $6.49 billion, and the average National Hockey League team, worth $1.92 billion.
The most valuable NBA team is the Golden State Warriors, worth $9.4 billion. The Warriors generated $781 million in revenue — net of their revenue-sharing payment — during the 2023-24 season, the highest in the NBA. The Warriors own their home arena, San Francisco's Chase Center, from which they also earn revenue from non-NBA events. The team raked in nearly $200 million in sponsorship revenue last season, nearly double that of any other team, according to a league executive.
It may not be surprising that the value of the Warriors has increased at a 24% compound annual growth rate since Joe Lacob and Peter Guber paid $450 million for the team in 2010. After all, the Warriors have won four NBA titles over the past decade, moved into their state-of-the-art arena in 2019 and have been led by two-time league MVP Stephen Curry.
But even the small-market Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA's least valuable team, worth $3.2 billion, have been a great investment for owner Robert Pera. The Grizzlies have not been to the NBA Finals since entering the league in 1995 and generally rank in the bottom third of the NBA in average attendance. Yet, the value of the Grizzlies has increased at a 19% annual rate since Pera paid $377 million for the team in 2012.
According to team executives, the biggest reason for the rising tide in NBA valuations has been the increase in national media rights, which are divided equally among the league's 30 teams. In July, the NBA agreed to a new media rights package worth $76 billion over 11 years, beginning with the 2025-26 season. On an average annual basis, the new deal is worth $6.9 billion a year, nearly 160% more than its current deal is worth.
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The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Pacers won't win NBA title by relying on crazy comebacks
After wasting an opportunity to win Game 1, the Thunder were left with a bitter aftertaste against the never-quite Pacers. The Thunder devoured the Pacers in Game 2 Sunday, June 8, evening the NBA Finals with a 123-107 victory. ANALYSIS: Tyrese Haliburton NBA postseason heroics renew debate. Does 'clutch' play exist? While the Pacers stole home-court advantage, they haven't played great and it's starting to become an issue as the series moves to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4. "Another bad first half," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "Obviously, it was a big problem, and we just played poorly. A little bit better in the second half but you can't be a team that's reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency." At this stage, the Pacers cannot rely on their ability to complete a comeback. They need to start better, and now, it's on Carlisle and his staff to figure that out. Indiana trailed by as many as 23 points, and while the comebacks have been compelling, it's not a recipe for playoff success. "We're going to have to be a lot better on Wednesday," Carlisle said. The Pacers have led for just one minute and 40.3 seconds of the 96 minutes in two games and their biggest lead is three points. The Thunder were more physical, dominated the paint for the second consecutive game and limited Tyrese Haliburton to a quiet 17 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma City had control of the game and was not in the mood to blow another double-digit lead. How did the Pacers handle Oklahoma City's physicality? "Not well," Carlisle said. "They were the best in the league during the year at keeping people out of there (paint). They are great at it. We have to find ways to get the ball in there, and you know, it's just there are so many things that have to go right on a set of two possessions to get the ball into the heart of their defense." Throughout the season and especially the playoffs, the Thunder's top-ranked defense finds a way to take away or limit the opponent's strengths. They did it against Denver and Minnesota in the Western conference semifinals and finals. "Our offense is built from the inside-out, and we have to do a better job getting downhill," Haliburton said. "They collapse and make plays from there. I thought we could improve a lot there. But yeah, they are flying around. They have got great point-of-attack defenders and great rim protectors. We can do a better job, watch the film, and see where we can get better going into Game 3." What about Haliburton's performance? "There's a lot more to the game than just scoring. ... People shouldn't just look at his points and assists and judge how he played, or judge how any of our guys played just on that," Carlisle said. "That's not how our team is built. We are an ecosystem that has to function together. We've got to score enough points to win the game but who gets them and how they get them, not important." Pascal Siakam found no consolation in getting a split and grabbing home-court advantage in the series. "You want to win every game you play, so we are not happy with how the game went today, and that's it," he said. "We've just got to turn the page, focus on Game 3. That's the biggest game of the year." This series is much closer to being a 2-0 Thunder lead than a 2-0 Pacers lead, and between Game 1 and 2, Carlisle compared a playoff series to a book. "Each game in this series is going to look different," he said. "A playoff series is a series of seven chapters, and each one takes on a different personality." If the Pacers don't find a way to start the next chapter better than they have, the book is going to close quickly on their championship aspirations. Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
NBA Finals Game 2: Winners and losers from Thunder's win
Indiana, which has posted five comebacks this postseason of at least 15 points, could never seriously threaten Oklahoma City, which had five players score at least 15 points. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with yet another 30-point showing, this one an efficient 34-point, eight-assist night on just 21 shot attempts. OPINION: Pacers cannot keep relying on crazy comebacks. They must start quicker, finish stronger. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton did finish with 17 points, though he had scored just five through three quarters. Here are the winners and losers from Game 2 of the NBA Finals: WINNERS Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins It wasn't just his defense, Thunder backup guard Alex Caruso also poured in 20 points -- including four drained 3-pointers -- in just 27:04 of playing time. He was steady and aggressive on the offensive end, cutting into the lane when gaps opened up. Throw in fellow backup guard Aaron Wiggins, whose 18 points -- including 5-of-8 from 3 -- in just 20:32 also lifted the Thunder. That Caruso and Wiggins accounted for nearly 65% of Oklahoma City's 14 made 3-pointers, is a testament to the Thunder's depth. Chet Holmgren This was exactly the bounce-back game that the Thunder needed from center Chet Holmgren. Three nights after scoring just six points on 2-of-9 shooting, Holmgren got to work, though most of his production came early. Nine of his 15 points came in the first quarter. The Thunder go big After opting to play mostly small in Game 1, Oklahoma City leaned much more on its double-big lineup with its pair of centers, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, on the floor at the same time. The result was instant, with the Thunder dominating points in the paint in the first half, 26-12. "It takes discipline, but we try to really use these early games in the series to learn what are options are and what our tradeoffs are -- not assume anything," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. "That was the intent tonight: just to get a little more information." LOSERS Tyrese Haliburton waits way too long Through the first three quarters, the most important player of the Pacers had scored just five points on just 2-of-7 shooting. Through the first three and a half minutes of the fourth, Haliburton had scored nine points, making all four of his attempts. While Haliburton's rep as a closer cannot be questioned, his inexplicably slow starts could become costly. The Thunder will clog the paint and gameplan to slow Haliburton's attacks into the paint. He needs to find ways to score regardless. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle downplayed Haliburton's sluggish production, saying that Indiana's team is an "ecosystem" and that it doesn't matter where points come from. "There's a lot more to the game than just scoring," he said after the game. "Everybody's got to do more." Regardless, Haliburton is the team's most gifted player and the one who can score easiest. The Pacers have no answer for OKC's intensity and physicality After the game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was asked his thoughts on how the Pacers responded to Oklahoma City's ramped up defensive intensity. Carlisle answer was curt and straightforward. "Not well," he said. The Thunder excel at crowding the paint when opposing players attack, collapsing, swarming and swatting at the ball. That is magnified particularly when Oklahoma City uses its double-big lineup with Holmgren and Hartenstein roaming down low. In the regular season, the Thunder ranked first in opponent points in the paint per game (42.5). Indiana's inability to attack the paint hurt its spacing and hurt its ability to get open looks from 3. "The paint is our emphasis and the paint is our friend. The more that we're able to attack the paint, usually better things happen for us," Carlisle said. Key players on Pacers bench no-show Obi Toppin scored 17 points in Game 1. Thomas Bryant had five. Both players combined Sunday night to score 4 on 1-of-9 shooting. Guards T.J. McConnell and Benedict Mathurin did combine for 25, but the Pacers will need much more balance from their contributions. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Moment ex-NBA superstar swings punches and brawls with fans after being ejected in shocking scenes
This is the barely-believable moment four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins brawled with fans and had to be dragged away by security after being ejected. Cousins has been out of the NBA for three years and is currently plying his trade in Puerto Rico, where things turned ugly on Monday night. The 34-year-old was playing for Mets de Guaynabo against Bayamon when things turned ugly after a fan began swearing and holding his middle fingers up. Cousins' response was caught on camera from various angles by fans inside the arena, with the ex-NBA star grabbing his crotch and getting in the man's face. Cousins then lays a hand on the man, before being pulled away by a teammate as tempers continue to rise. A second fan then gets involved before Cousins is dragged to the other side of the court by a teammate, where it is then claimed he got ejected from the game. Otro ángulo... Así empezó todo. Demarcus Cousins de GBO Airlines provocó a un fanático agarrándose el pirulí molesto porque le estaban gritando en el rancho vaquero — Puestos Pa'l Problema (@ElPodcastPPP) June 10, 2025 A new angle then shows an incredible second incident, in which fans appear to throw various drinks at Cousins, which leads to the red mist descending. Initially, the former first-round pick can be seen putting his middle finger into the faces of various fans, before the drinks rain down on him and cause him to snap. He swings punches at those around him, before security bundle him to the ground in a failed attempt to calm the situation down. Cousins can then be seen getting back to his feet, sparking more drinks to land on him, further enraging the basketball star. Y el #MotinAlert de hoy para nuestro pana Boogie — 12magnificos (@12magnificos) June 10, 2025 Demarcus Cousins crashed out in Puerto Rico basketball league 😳 — League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) June 10, 2025 He is then pulled down the tunnel and away from the baying mob. The 6-foot-10 center is a four-time All-Star who began his career in Sacramento, before spending time in New Orleans, Golden State, Houston, LA, Milwaukee and Denver in a 12-year NBA career. In the past three years he has bounced around teams in Taiwan and Puerto Rico, currently playing in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
