Witnessing history in the making will come with an expensive cost; courtside seats 166 and 167 at the Staples Center, the home of the Lakers, are priced at $75,000 each for their upcoming match against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This Tuesday’s game could potentially be the night LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record, allowing those who buy these tickets for the game a one-of-a-kind, up-close view of the history-making moment with their feet on the very same hardwood court. After Ticketmaster fees, the total cost for both would be a staggering $181,500, however, there is no guarantee the record will be broken on the night.
The Thursday game featuring the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks (10 ET, TNT) will have higher prices due to its association with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite this, industry professionals expect the costs to drop. For example, a pair of courtside tickets are being sold for an astronomical $24,000 each, totalling $48,000. Nevertheless, it is possible that the ticket market could crash if the expected buzz doesn’t materialize.
The record-breaking event of the Lakers-Thunder game on Tuesday night has been rearranged for national television coverage. Commissioner Adam Silver has ensured that the momentous event will be watched by a wide audience. Moreover, the Lakers-Milwaukee Bucks game on Thursday and Lakers-Warriors game on Saturday were already scheduled to be televised nationally, no changes needed.
The NBA will commemorate LeBron James’ surpassing of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387-point mark when it occurs, with festivities likely taking place around All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the matter, mentioning the importance of recording the event for posterity and taking into account that the game must still be competitive. To that end, if LeBron James’ record comes towards the end of a close game, it is likely that the NBA will be brief and not interrupt the competition. Conversely, if the record is reached early on, a brief stoppage to celebrate may be in order.
For those who wish to witness the historic moment, whether it is from the courtside seats or higher levels of the arena, it will still come at a hefty price. On Monday, with the market being subject to fluctuation until game-time, the lowest ticket price for Tuesday’s game was around $176 – almost half of what it was a week ago. The cost of Thursday’s game was reported to be $796. As the cost of the game is too high for most fans, they may have to wait until the 24th March when the Thunder return to Los Angeles. This could be their ideal chance to witness the events unfold.
Cheapest ticket right now for that game — about $60.