Report: Lakers made most money in NBA last season

Even when they are losing, the Los Angeles Lakers stay winning.

According to a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe on Tuesday, the Lakers finished with a $115.4 million net profit last season, which was the highest in the NBA by a significant margin. That number was over $25 million more than the next closest team, the championship-winning Golden State Warriors, and it was calculated AFTER the Lakers wrote a $49 million check as a part of the league’s revenue-sharing agreement. Conversely, 14 of the 30 teams in the NBA actually lost money last season.

It’s somewhat of a staggering development after the Lakers finished 26-56 in 2016-17 for their fourth consecutive sub-30-win season. It was also their first season after Kobe Bryant’s retirement. But the colossal Los Angeles market, the legendary status of their franchise, and their mammoth local media rights deals (which Windhorst and Lowe noted were the biggest contributing factor to their profit margin) all but ensure a constant and continued stream of huge income for the Lakers. And if the future is any indication, subsequent seasons could prove even more lucrative in Lakerland, which is a pretty scary thought.