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The Forbes SportsMoney Index, according to the magazine, ranks teams, athletes, brands and agencies based on financial performance, which includes team and brand values, player earnings and agency commissions as well as the business ties between those entities that are the foundation of value creation in sports.
In its latest worldwide rankings, the Brooklyn Nets have made the biggest jump of any sports entity —95 spots— to put it at No. 54, just behind the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Nets rank fifth now in the NBA, according to Forbes, behind only the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and Rockets. It’s all about the Nets acquisition of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving ... and what that portends.
According to Chris Smith of Forbes...
The Nets’ off-season coup made for the biggest win on the SMI, despite a flurry of NBA trades and signings that sent megastars like Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul to new teams.
Durant and Irving’s rankings dipped as a result of them joining what Smith calls “a less relevant team,” compared to their former clubs. Durant dropped 19 spots to No. 33 and Irving fell 16 to No. 35. The Warriors and Celtics took big hits as well. The Golden State Warriors fell nine places to No. 13 and the Boston Celtics dropped 44 spots to No. 83.
In other player movement, Westbrook climbed six spots to No. 15 after his trade to the Houston Rockets while the Oklahoma City Thunder, his former team, fell 55 spots to No. 91. Davis’ long-awaited landing in Los Angeles boosted him 38 spots to No. 42, putting him just ahead of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. His leaving the New Orleans Pelicans pushed that team down more than three dozen places to No. 149.
The complete list can be found here. Nike remains No. 1.