The Boston Celtics brand is as strong as ever, as Forbes ranked the historic franchise with the fifth-highest value among all 30 NBA teams for 2020.
Ranked behind the New York Knicks ($4.6 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($4.4 billion), Golden State Warriors ($4.3 billion) and Chicago Bulls ($3.2 billion), the Celtics are currently valued at $3.1 billion. The five aforementioned teams are the only teams in the league with a value of at least $3 billion, with Boston having raised their value by 11 percent since 2019, the second-lowest single-year change percent in the top-five.
With multiple All-Stars (Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum) on the roster, consistent regular season success — which leads to postseason berths — and a diehard fanbase, there’s no wonder why the Celtics are ranked so highly. Of the top five teams (by value) in the NBA, the Knicks, Lakers and Bulls have been without the type of consistent regular season and playoff success found in Golden State and Boston but the Knicks and Lakers have the benefit of playing in the two largest markets in the league (New York and Los Angeles) while the Lakers also have two of the league’s biggest stars in four-time NBA MVP LeBron James and perennial All-Star Anthony Davis.
The Knicks now have a top-three draft pick on their roster in wing R.J. Barrett.
Both franchises, along with the Bulls — still thriving off of legend Michael Jordan’s heyday — also have a horde of zealous fans.
Nonetheless, the Celtics may leapfrog Chicago in team value next season, especially if the latter continues to miss the playoffs.
