The Golden State Warriors are reportedly worth $800 million
By Brad Rowland
In the landscape of the NBA, the top-tier franchises are generally the same. The Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks reign above all in terms of both value and name recognition, while teams like the Heat, Thunder, and Spurs are enjoying sustained runs of success on the court. However, the Golden State Warriors don’t fall into either category.
With that said, at least one source believes that they are now valued at $800 million.
In 2010, the Warriors sold for approximately $450 million, but ESPN’s Darren Rovell is reporting that the largest ever price paid for an NBA team was a hefty bargain. Rovell quotes a source with “knowledge of the terms” in his report, but the valuation of the team stems from a negotiation that took place when Joe Lacob and Peter Guber agreed to sell a portion of the franchise to Mark Stevens.
It is pretty crazy to consider that the Warriors could be one of the most highly-valued franchises in the league, but on the other hand, they also have a few things going in their favor. First, they have a diehard fan base that is well-known in league circles (remember the 2007 playoffs against the Mavericks?), and those fans never wavered even through the darkest times in terms of on-court performance. Then, the team has a fun, young roster that includes top-end players like Stephen Curry, David Lee, Klay Thompson, and now, Andre Iguodala.
Even with that, however, $800 million seems staggering. The overall value of NBA teams seems to be skyrocketing and the Lacob/Guber duo is paying big-time dividends in the literal sense. As long as they don’t run the team into the ground (easier said than done), they should be able to turn a profit that borders on ridiculous while having the intense pleasure of running a professional sports franchise.
Sounds like fun to me.