Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.
Lakers top Forbes list for NBA teams' value
The Los Angeles Lakers are the most valuable NBA franchise for the third consecutive year, with a 14 percent jump to $510 million, Forbes magazine said.
The New York Knicks are second at $494 million, up 23 percent from last year, followed by the Dallas Mavericks at $374 million, the Houston Rockets at $369 million and the Chicago Bulls at $368 million, the magazine reported in its annual survey.
The Detroit Pistons, who defeated the Lakers for the NBA championship in June, are sixth on the list at $363 million.
The Rockets, with league scoring leader Tracy McGrady and All-Star center Yao Ming, showed the largest increase in value in this year's survey, at 33 percent.
The Milwaukee Bucks, owned by U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, are the NBA's least valuable team at $199 million, Forbes said. The Seattle SuperSonics are 28th at $205 million, while the Orlando Magic are 27th at $218 million.
The Portland Trail Blazers are the only team in the league that dropped in value on this year's Forbes list, falling 9 percent to $247 million. The Washington Wizards' value was unchanged at $273 million.
Monty tied for lead
Colin Montgomerie shot a 4-under 67 for a share of the lead with Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk after the first round of the Target World Challenge. Montgomerie, Woods and Furyk avoided the kind of mistakes that knocked Chris DiMarco out of the lead twice and sent Vijay Singh to a 3-over 74, matching the worst round on a pristine day at Sherwood Country Club in Thousands Oaks, Calif.
Players offer pay cuts
Seeking to break the stalemate and end the NHL's lockout, the players union offered an immediate pay reduction of 24 percent and other concessions to commissioner Gary Bettman and the 30 team owners. After a four-hour negotiating session in Toronto, Bettman said league executives and team owners would study the offer and make a counterproposal on Tuesday.
Indy picks president
Brian Barnhart became president of the Indy Racing League and Joie Chitwood III president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday. Tony George, whose family owns the track, will remain president and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp.
Fans want tough policy
A national Gallup poll showed that 86 percent of baseball fans sasy players and ownes should agree to a tougher steroid-testing program by the 2005 season, and 59 percent favor Congress passing legislation if owners and players can't agree on an amended policy.
Talk show host dies
Pioneering sports radio talk show host Pete Franklin, who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland and New York, has died after in California a long illness. He was 76.
Utah State hires coach
Arizona State defensive coordinator Brent Guy was hired today at Utah State's new head coach,
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