By: Kurt Badenhausen
Article Reprint 
The hardwood might as well be paved with gold: The average National Basketball Association franchise is now worth $1.36 billion, a 3.5-fold increase over the last five years. Fueling the gains are the NBA’s $24 billion media deal with ESPN and TNT that kicked off this season, a new collective bargaining agreement ensuring seven years of labor peace and massive international opportunities.