Rockets owner expects team to be worth $3B within 10 years

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 17: Houston Rockets owner, Tilman Fertitta greets Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets after winning the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 17, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE

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NBA franchise valuations are rising into rarefied air, something evidenced by Tilman Fertitta's record $2.2-billion purchase of the Houston Rockets in 2017.

Fertitta expects that value to keep on growing.

"I sure didn't underpay," the billionaire businessman and reality TV star told USA TODAY's Sam Amick. "But you know what, if we look in five-to-10 years, and the team is worth $3 billion, which I think it will be, it would have been a great deal."

In its annual list of NBA franchise valuations this month, Forbes estimated that all 30 of the league's teams are now worth over $1 billion. Houston ranks as the fourth-largest city and eighth-largest TV market in the United States.