This month’s Lakers-Warriors season opener on Oct. 18 is the second most expensive NBA regular season game of all time. Per TickPick, the average purchase price is $897 at Chase Center.
The Warriors will also unveil their seventh championship banner during the pregame ceremony. They won their fourth title in eight years against the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
For those wondering, the only regular season game more expensive was Kobe Bryant’s last game in 2016. Ticket prices for Black Mamba’s final game against the Utah Jazz were an average of $1,137. Of course, Kobe scored 60 points.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Lakers have top-10 odds of winning their 18th championship in 2023. Sportsbooks are also giving the Warriors favorable odds of repeating. Feel free to compare the odds.
The Warriors-Lakers game on October 18 is the second most expensive regular season NBA game of all-time, according to @TickPick. The average purchase price is $897. The only game more expensive was Kobe Bryant’s last game in 2016, which had an average purchase price of $1,137.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 1, 2022
Prior to the 2021-22 season, the average ticket price for a Warriors regular season game was $598. Likewise, the median price per ticket for Lakers regular-season games was $562.
In the 2011-12 season, average ticket prices for the Heat-Knicks game on February 23, 2012, were sold for nearly $650. Though, keep in mind, LeBron James was in his second season with Miami.
At Madison Square Garden, for a seat in the 200 section, the average price was about $320 per ticket. Nonetheless, this data is from over nine years ago.
Warriors-Lakers matchup on Oct. 18 is second most expensive NBA regular season game
During the 2012-13 season, average ticket prices for the Heat-Lakers game on January 17, 2013, were $712.79. This matchup also occurred at Staples Center, now known as Crypto.com Arena.
Plus, the Knicks-Nets game during the same season had an average asking price of $888.68. On November 1, 2012, the Nets were scheduled to host the Knicks at Barclays Center. It was their first season playing in Brooklyn.
However, Hurricane Sandy postponed the game to Nov. 26. In the end, the date didn’t matter. From that point onwards, the matchup quickly became a New York rivalry.
According to Statista, the average team value in the NBA has increased from $207 million in 2001 to $509 million in 2013 — which is a 146% increase. Per Forbes, the Knicks are the most valuable NBA team in 2022; they’re worth $5.8 billion.
Based on financial research conducted by ThePricer, two of the most expensive tickets ever sold for an NBA game were bought for $133,000.
The transaction was made for VIP floor seats for the 2018 NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers. For Game 1, floor seats were priced at $16,000. Then, prices increased to $76,000 per ticket for Game 2.
Since inflation continues to impact the U.S. economy, NBA ticket prices will remain high in the coming seasons. Fortunately, although tickets for Lakers and Warriors games are costly, NBA League Pass is now 56% cheaper in 2022. The standard package is priced at $100.
