Warriors top Forbes list of most valuable NBA teams

SAN FRANCISCO -- Fresh off a fourth NBA championship in the last eight years, the Golden State Warriors are now atop the Forbes list of the league's most valuable franchises and approaching the top spot of all sports teams worldwide.

The Warriors, now worth $7 billion, are the first NBA franchise besides the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks to top the annual Forbes list. In comparison, the average NBA team is worth $2.86 billion, 15% more than a year ago, according to Forbes.

Just last month, Forbes listed the Warriors franchise value at $5.6 billion in its list of most valuable sports franchises worldwide, with the Dallas Cowboys topping the list at $8 billion. At $5.1 billion, Real Madrid was the top non-U.S. team at No. 13, right behind the San Francisco 49ers at No. 12 ($5.2 billion).  

According to Forbes, the Warriors generated the most revenue ($765 million) and the most operating income ($206 million) in NBA history last season as they played their first full season with fans in the new Chase Center. The Warriors also took in $150 million from arena sponsorships and advertising, double any other team, and pulled in more than $250 million from premium seating, by far the most in the league.

For the last seven years, the Knicks ($6.1 billion) have topped the list of the league's most valuable teams. Now at No. 2, the Knicks are followed by the Lakers ($5.9 billion), the Chicago Bulls ($4.1 billion) and the Boston Celtics ($4 billion).