Dub Hub: Warriors listed as second most valuable sports franchise in the world by Forbes

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, December 13th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Warriors listed as the second most valuable sports franchise, according to Forbes.
• Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel lists several players around the NBA on the Warriors’ trade radar.
• Domantas Sabonis’ 32 point, 20 rebound game powers Kings to victory over the Pelicans on Thursday night.

While the Golden State Warriors have experienced their share of ups and downs on the court this season, the franchise remains a dominant business powerhouse off of it. According to Forbes’ annual list of most valuable sports franchises in the world, the Warriors come in at second with an estimated valuation of $8.8 billion.

The impressive figure places them behind only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys ($10.1 billion) and well ahead of other iconic NBA franchises like the New York Knicks ($7.5 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($7.1 billion).

Team owner Joe Lacob bought the Warriors for $450 million back in 2010. Since then, the team has won four championships, constructed the state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Francisco, and established itself as one of the most globally recognized brands in sports.

As much as Lacob and fellow owner Peter Guber deserve credit for their vision and leadership, the Warriors’ transformation wouldn’t have been possible without Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion has revolutionized basketball with his unmatched three-point shooting, inspiring a generation of players and captivating fans around the globe.

As the Warriors continue to navigate their season, their standing in Forbes’ rankings serves as a reminder of how far the franchise has come. Whether it’s on the hardwood or in the business world, Golden State remains a model of excellence and should continue to hold themselves to this higher standard for years to come.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, December 13th:

Warriors News:

The World’s 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2024 | Forbes

For the ninth straight year, the Dallas Cowboys are the world’s most valuable sports team, worth an estimated $10.1 billion—the first to cross the 11-figure threshold and $1.3 billion beyond their closest competition. But there is plenty of movement among the top 50 teams, with 12 NBA franchises now flooding the ranking, double the six on last year’s list and led by the Golden State Warriors, worth an estimated $8.8 billion and No. 2 overall.

The Warriors Saw Hell in Houston. Can Jimmy Butler Save Them? | The Ringer

Acquiring Butler in his age-35 season without any assurances that he would stay beyond this season is enough to make any team queasy, let alone one that would have to part with its wing depth in both Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins to make it happen. It’s unnervingly easy to talk yourself into Butler’s fit on the Warriors: He is a fellow adult in the room; a smart and instinctive off-ball cutter; a player who knows how to parcel out his energy and take over when necessary; a menace that terrorized the Celtics like few ever have, in case everything aligns just right down the road. Curry will turn 37 in March. The Warriors can’t afford to take the risk; they can’t afford not to.

Siegel’s Scoop: Making sense of Jimmy Butler-Warriors rumors, latest trade block intel | Clutch Points

Other secondary talents that the Warriors have discussed as potential trade targets are Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Portland Trail Blazers defensive wing Matisse Thybulle, and two Toronto Raptors players in Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown. Whereas the Raptors are open to moving both veterans, the Timberwolves have not given any indications that they will make DiVincenzo available in trade discussions. Minnesota has always had eyes for DiVincenzo, and now that they finally got him, it is unlikely that they would part with him for draft assets and Melton’s expiring contract.

Former Warrior Chris Paul discussing his time with the team: ”Last year was probably one of the toughest years for me”

Warriors release statement on the passing of former franchise player Ernie Beck at the age of 93

NBA News:

NBA trade deadline: Intel on Warriors, Heat and major decisions | ESPN

But simply, it’s just a game. James has repeatedly made two things clear both in public and behind the scenes: He wants to be a Laker, and the trades he wants involve the Lakers making roster upgrades around him. James had chances at last season’s trade deadline and during his unrestricted free agency to consider a move. There was no drama, as he quickly and repeatedly pledged to stay.

“The Lakers or any team who might want to trade for him don’t really have any say in the matter,” one league executive told ESPN. “He’s got a no-trade clause. Unless he goes in and tells [owner] Jeanie [Buss] he wants to leave, it’s not even a discussion.”

Emirates NBA Cup MVP Ladder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powers Thunder into Semifinals | NBA

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Tournament stats: 32.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2.2 spg

Last Ladder: No. 2

No one could be blamed for changing the order of the top three. The margin is that thin. Gilgeous-Alexander takes the top spot heading into the Semifinals, mostly for having played in all five of his team’s Cup games so far. If his production were to slip or his team lose, the balance could shift to one of the Bucks listed below.

Gilgeous-Alexander put on a superstar masterpiece in the Thunder’s Knockout Rounds victory over Dallas. His 39 points on 65.2% shooting came from all levels (six FGA in the paint, four at mid-range, five beyond the arc). He also chips in on the stingiest defense in the league, and his on-court plus-15.6 leads all players in Cup play.

Domantas Sabonis powers Kings to victory with 32 point, 20 rebound game vs. Pelicans

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

NBA releases Last 2 Minute Report for Warriors vs. Rockets

The Last 2 Minute Report covers, as the name suggests, the final two minutes of the game, with the refs reviewing all the calls and non-calls to determine which were called (or non-called) accurately. Despite the controversy, the NBA is sticking with their ruling, labeling Kuminga’s late foul of Jalen Green a correct call, and noting that, “Kuminga (GSW) reaches over Green (HOU) in an attempt to get to the ball and pulls his shoulder down.”

This is not surprising. By the letter of the law, nearly every single loose ball scrum results in a foul. The Warriors’ argument against the call is not that it was a play without contact, but rather that it’s a play that’s made over and over again without a whistle.

Interestingly, the league also labeled the loose ball chaos from a few seconds prior as a correct non-call, noting that, “VanVleet (HOU) makes clean contact with the ball as Payton II (GSW) makes the pass.”

A tweet to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.