Knicks ranked 2nd-most valuable NBA franchise, 9th worldwide by Forbes

It looks like the New York Knicks continue to hold a prominent position as one of the most financially strong franchises across the sports landscape and the NBA in particular. That is, of course, according to the latest Forbes ranking for 2023.

These annual ranks have always put the Knicks inside or close to the top 10 worldwide, and that hasn’t changed this year. Not only is New York a hella huge market boosting those perceptions and actual revenues within the confines of the NBA, but all around the globe.

The recent trend putting the Golden State Warriors atop the NBA ranks hasn’t changed, however, with the Dubs topping the charts on that front ahead of the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. The Warriors rank as the third most-valuable franchise worldwide across all sports, only topped by the no. 1 Dallas Cowboys and no. 2 New York Yankees.

Forbes handed the Knicks a valuation of $6.1 billion, which makes New York the only NBA franchise along with Golden State ($7 billion) to break the $6 billion barrier.

The Knicks’ financial value has experienced a notable rise in the past five years, experiencing a nice 69% increase in that span. That, however, pales in comparison to the ridiculous growth experienced by the Warriors with a 126% increase in the last five years. Only the Las Vegas Raiders (among organizations ranked above the 20th position overall) have experienced a bigger growth at 156 percent.

The Knicks secured the 9th position on the global list of most valuable franchises worldwide, valued at the same rate as fellow New York franchise the Jets (tied for 9th), and $0.7 billion behind the New York Giants in 6th place.

The NFL dominates the Forbes ranking with seven franchises in the top 10. Only the Knicks and Warriors (NBA) and the Yankees (MLB) made the top 10 places of the list as non-NFL franchises.

As for NBA franchises, just six made the top-50 cut with both Los Angeles teams (Lakers ranked 15th, Clippers 45th), the Chicago Bulls (39th), and the Boston Celtics (43rd) listed by Forbes in their 2023 report.