Depending on which team you are going to see, NBA tickets can either be very affordable, or break your bank. The Memphis Grizzlies, with an average ticket price of $60.20, are the most affordable team to see live in the NBA, but to some even this figure might seem expensive.
Wait until you see our list of the top 10 most expensive tickets in the NBA:
10. Houston Rockets ($98.00)
Say hello to the first team on our list – and the last team with an average ticket price below $100 – the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are not usually considered a large-market team. They haven’t won a championship since 1995 (or a division title for that matter) and have not seen a remarkable amount of success in recent years.
So why can they charge an average of $98 a ticket? There are two very good reasons for this: Jeremy Lin and James Harden. In case you forgot somehow, Jeremy Lin is the guy who took the NBA by storm last year with his phenomenal and inexplicable play for the Knicks during the second half of the year. James Harden is the former shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played an important role in Oklahoma, but now that he is in Houston he is playing out of his mind. Currently he is one of the front-runners for MVP, and a big reason for these above-average ticket prices
9. Charlotte Bobcats ($102.50)
This is a team you might not have expected to see on this list. The Bobcats have more-or-less been the worst team in the league for several years now. They have no accolades to their name, but they have some high-profile players in Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Also to their credit, Michael Jordan is their owner. Slap MJ’s face on just about anything and it will bring in the money.
8. Los Angeles Clippers ($110.20)
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul famously created “Lob City” in LA. Paul is another front-runner for MVP, and Griffin isn’t far behind. In fact, the Clippers seem to have surpassed their neighbors the Lakers in the competition for best team in LA (at least currently). Two super stars, recent success, and the fact that the city of Los Angeles is simply an expensive city explain why Los Angeles Clippers tickets are so expensive.
7. Boston Celtics ($127.40)
This one isn’t difficult to understand. The Celtics are arguably the greatest NBA franchise of all time. Bill Russell won 11-consecutive championships on the Celtics. In total, the franchise has won 17 titles. Their most recent championship came in 2008, which was not that long ago. Kevin Garnett is one of the greatest ever to play the game, and Rajon Rondo is well on his way to a fantastic career as well.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder ($147.30)
I love the Oklahoma City Thunder and I’m a Spurs fan. This has to be the most likable team in the NBA. Kevin Durant is arguably the best player in the league right now and Russell Westbrook is not far behind. After their very thorough dismantling of a molten-hot Spurs team last year was stifled by a loss to the Heat in the Finals, the Thunder are out for blood.
5. Chicago Bulls ($156.90)
Remember the MJ factor? The Chicago Bulls are the pinnacle of this rule. Their recent success and the sheer existence of Derrick Rose don’t hurt the price of Chicago Bulls tickets either.
4. Brooklyn Nets ($172.70)
Similar to MJ, rap mogul Jay-Z has shown that he has the Midas touch when it comes to pretty much any venture. With the excellent Jay-Z-esque marketing used to hype up the Nets during the off-season, the debut season of the breathtaking Barclays Center and a pretty impressive lineup, you’ve got some hefty ticket prices headed your way.
3. Miami Heat ($189.90)
LeBron James. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, former champs. Need I say more?
2. Los Angeles Lakers ($210.50)
The Lakers, like the Celtics are arguably the greatest NBA franchise of all time. They have won a slew of championships, have seen more stars than any other franchise and have won several championships recently. Kobe Bryant is easily one of the greatest ever to play the game, as is Steve Nash. Dwight Howard is also a very dominant player. The Lakers current lineup is pretty outrageous, and it makes sense that they command the second-highest average ticket price this year.
1. New York Knicks ($311.20)
The New York Knicks are a notoriously expensive NBA team in every aspect imaginable. Add Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd to the mix and it’s no wonder the average price of New York Knicks tickets is $100 more than the next most expensive team. No, actually I do wonder why. This price is just insane. Welcome to New York, I guess.
