Lakers guard Kobe Bryant offered empathy for Xavier Henry having a season-ending left Achilles injury jeff gross – getty images
NEW ORLEANS — The Lakers may have struggled to collect wins. But they have done quite well in collecting pay checks.
The Lakers are considered the NBA’s most valuable franchise worth $2.6 billion, according to Forbes’ annual rankings that were released on Wednesday.
There are varying explanations for the Lakers’ profitability despite the team having a 12-30 record, fourth worst in the NBA.
The Lakers are in their third season of a local television cable deal with Time Warner Cable Access SportsNet worth $5 billion through 25 years. The Lakers’ value increased by 93 percent, according to Forbes, because of the NBA’s new $24-billion national television deal. According to Forbes, that increased the value of an average NBA franchise to $1.1 billion, a 74 percent increase. Meanwhile, the Lakers remain a powerful global brand both for their 16 NBA championships and Kobe Bryant’s presence. He is paid $23.5 million this season and will make $25 million next season presuming he plays out the final year of his contract.
The Lakers led the NBA in total revenue last season at $293 million, according to Forbes. Despite Bryant playing in only six games last season, the Lakers made an NBA-record $104 million in operating income. That even equates for the $50 million the Lakers owe for the NBA’s revenue-sharing plan in hopes to ensure competitive balance.
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com