Sports’ Most Valuable Teams After the Los Angeles Lakers’ Sale

The Los Angeles Lakers are no strangers to making history. Some of the greatest names in basketball history have worn the purple and gold, and many of them led the team to world championships.

The Lakers have 17 NBA titles, second only to their archrivals from the East, the Boston Celtics with 18. The Lakers were unable to match Boston's championship tally with another win this season, but they may have them beaten in the boardroom.

The Lakers and the Buss family will reportedly sell the team to Mark Walter at a valuation of approximately $10 billion. Once that sale goes through, it would be the highest amount that a sports team has sold for in the United States.

The Lakers are the world's most expensive team, but which other teams made their way on the list?                                                                                                                  

Forbes estimates that the NFL's Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable team in sports, with an estimate of $10.1 billion back in November of 2024. They're followed by another NBA team in the Golden State Warriors at $8.8 billion.

The NFL's Los Angeles Rams and MLB's New York Yankees take the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, respectively. The top five is rounded out by the NBA's New York Knicks.

 It's clear that market size matters when it comes to the value of a team, and the Lakers are in downtown of one of the busiest and most populous cities in America.

The NFL is well-represented in Forbes' list, as several NFL teams are looking to grow and expand their brands with each passing year. 

We've seen NFL teams head out of the country on a yearly basis to promote the game of football and the spectacle comes with it, and this year will be no different with games in other countries.

The Lakers will likely stay near the top of the list for decades to come, as they've been one of the most well-supported franchises from all of professional sports. Lakers fans are in all corners of the world, but they concentrate at home in Los Angeles.

That level of unbridled support has made them one of the best franchises in all of professional sports, and now they're the most valuable.