The Los Angeles Lakers unseated the New York Knicks as the NBA's most valuable team, worth $2.6 billion, according to a Forbes poll released on Wednesday that showed the average team value rose 74 percent from last year.
The average NBA team's value rose to $1.1 billion from $634 million last year, a jump Forbes said was driven primarily by the NBA signing expanded national media deals with broadcast partners Walt Disney Co and Time Warner Inc.
There are now 11 NBA teams worth at least $1 billion, up from three a year ago, Forbes said in a statement.