Who needs the playoffs when you own the New York Knicks?
Owner Jim Dolan’s decision to split the media and sports assets of family-controlled Madison Square Garden Co. paid $3 billion in dividends, according to a Forbes ranking of NBA team value.
The resulting 20-year pact with the MSG regional sports network kicked off this season with a first-year value of $100 million as a result of the split.
The tenth-place Knicks even toppled the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA’s most valuable franchise, according to the ranking.
Forbes attributed the team’s 20 percent increase in value since last season to a new cable deal and the highest premium-seating revenue in the league.