With more than 1,200 NBA games played each season, there's an overwhelming amount of choice for fans of the world’s premier basketball league – and that’s just picking which fixture you want to attend! There’s also an array of ticket types on offer at each venue, a marketplace of ticket sellers to consider, and a range of prices to weigh up, so this guide is here to help you through every step of the process.
- Choosing Which NBA Game to Attend
- When Do NBA Tickets Go on Sale?
- Where to Buy NBA Tickets
- Types of NBA Tickets Available
- NBA Ticket Prices
- Ticket Delivery
- Planning Parking & Travel for an NBA Game
- Booking Accommodation When Attending an NBA Game
- Top Tips for Buying NBA Tickets
Choosing Which NBA Game to Attend
The NBA regular season alone boasts 1,230 games, and that’s before you get into the postseason with the NBA Play-In Tournament and the pinnacle of the campaign, the NBA Playoffs. You can find a complete guide to the NBA calendar here.
There are 30 teams to choose from, each with their own venue where they'll play upwards of 40 home games each season. All but 1 of those teams, Canada’s Toronto Raptors, are based in the United States, so aside from a game or 2 held in Paris each year – which can be perfect for European fans to get their taste of NBA action or for US fans to combine with a vacation – the fixtures are all confined within North America.
The teams are almost exclusively located in major cities. If you’re based in the US, then the easiest option would be to attend a game most local to where you live, but they can easily be slotted into a city break or work trip. If you have a favourite team or one in particular that you’d like to see in action, it can also be a great experience to watch them play away at a rival’s venue.
If you’re new to the NBA and not sure which team you would like to see to see, then the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors are among the most iconic options who remain a popular choice for newcomers, albeit they tend to be more expensive to watch.
View the complete NBA schedule here.
When Do NBA Tickets Go on Sale?
Although it will vary from team to team, most single-game NBA tickets will go on sale in August or September. The schedule for the upcoming season is usually released in mid-August, with sales starting in the weeks that follow. Because of the tight turnaround between fixtures during the postseason, NBA Play-In Tournament and NBA Playoff games will typically go on sale within a day or so of being confirmed. Some – such as Games 5, 6, or 7 of a series, that may not be required – may even go on sale before being confirmed; in these cases, fans are refunded if they do not take place. Tickets for offseason events such as the NBA Summer League typically become available around 2 months prior to the event taking place. If you have a particular NBA game or event in mind that you’d like to attend, you can save it to your favourites at Koobit to be notified when it goes on sale.
Each team also offer multi-game packages – up to and including half or full-season tickets – and memberships that come with various benefits, potentially including earlier access to tickets. While membership is not required to purchase single-game tickets, if you plan on seeing your local team numerous times each season then it can be worthwhile. Although the initial outlay will be much higher with multi-game packages, they’re typically cheaper per game overall.
Popular matchups – such as clashes between big rivals like the Lakers and Celtics – and postseason games are likely to sell out, but for a lot of games, especially featuring less-illustrious teams, tickets may be available right up to tipoff. Prices change over time, sometimes dropping as the game approaches. As such, you can try waiting until it draws near to potentially secure cheaper seats in a last-minute deal, although the closer to tipoff you are, the more limited your choices are likely to be. For NBA games that are likely to be in high demand, buying early might net you a cheaper ticket, as some resellers may increase their price once official tickets have sold out.
Where to Buy NBA Tickets
Primary Sellers
Ticketmaster is the official ticket marketplace of the NBA, and as such the majority of NBA teams use them as their primary supplier, although some do use SeatGeek or AXS. Team membership is not required to purchase single-game tickets, although it may be beneficial if you’re looking for a multi-game package or season ticket. You will usually have to create an account with the official seller in order to purchase tickets, however.
Subject to availability, you can usually purchase tickets in-person on gamedays from the arena’s box office. Any tickets bought at the box office will usually be subject to whatever fees you would also have to pay online.
Resellers
There is an enormous secondary marketplace for all NBA tickets, including many reputable resellers, and the primary supplier will usually have a stock of official resale tickets available as well. As with primary seller tickets, resale prices will often fluctuate in advance of a game in accordance with demand, but it can be possible to secure seats at a bargain price.
At Koobit, you can compare prices from a number of top resellers, including:
Types of NBA Tickets Available
Although every venue is different and the exact offerings will change from team to team, NBA fans will find similar ticket types and seating areas available throughout the league; every arena will have upper and lower tiers and a courtside seating option, and many will also have club seats or even a club level that grants additional benefits.
Upper Level
These seats can be found on the highest tier of the stadium. Naturally, they’re the furthest from the action, but in many venues they still provide a good vantage point above the court and they’re typically the most affordable tickets available for an NBA game. Thanks to the acoustics in many arenas, they can often give you the best sample of the atmosphere, too, with the noise reverberating around the upper level.
Lower Level
Lower Level seats are, naturally, located on an arena’s lowest level that immediately surrounds the court. These seats get you much closer to the action than those on higher levels, allowing you to better appreciate the size and skill of the towering behemoths that dominate the NBA’s hardwood. As such, these seats are usually more expensive than those on the Upper Level.
Club Seats
Club Seats are sometimes located on a dedicated club level that usually occupies the middle tier of an arena if it has one, but they’re often specific sections – typically along the sideline – on the lower tier. At some venues, Club Seats are confined to specific rows within lower-tier sections. As well as offering some of the most desirable views for most fans, these seats provide access to premium spaces within the venue – club or lounge areas where spectators can relax before, during, or after the game and where food and beverages are usually all-inclusive. Some venues also offer in-seat ordering so you don’t miss any of the action while waiting for your concessions. Prices typically jump considerably when club or lounge access is included compared with standard seating.
Suite/Box
Many venues have a tier – often located between the upper and lower levels – comprised of premium hospitality boxes or suites. These private or semi-private spaces typically come with their own seating, as well as comfortable furnishings within, and they’re ideal for entertaining groups of friends, colleagues, or clients, although they may not be the best choice if you really want to experience the atmosphere of a game. Suites and boxes typically come with all-inclusive food and beverage packages served by dedicated wait staff. Naturally, these tend to be very expensive tickets.
Courtside
The bucket-list seats for any basketball fan, Courtside seating is usually the most expensive seating on offer at an NBA game alongside suites. These seats get you as close as can be to the action – your feet might even be touching the hardwood – and you’ll get up close and personal with the stars of the NBA, all while rubbing elbows with VIPs and celebrities. Courtside seats invariably come with a range of benefits much like Club Seats, with VIP lounge or club access; sometimes the same spaces that Club Seat ticket holders get access to, sometimes even more exclusive areas. VIP parking may also be included. While your view of the players will be unrivalled, some fans find that they’re too close to appreciate the game properly; nevertheless, Courtside seating is often more about the experience itself, and it’s an experience every fan wants to try at least once.
NBA Ticket Prices
NBA ticket prices naturally vary from team to team and city to city. The more successful – either currently or historically – a team is, the higher the demand for tickets, and as such the more expensive they become. Likewise, the size of the local basketball market has a similar impact; markets like New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco are much larger than in Oklahoma City, for example, and so you can expect to pay much more in those cities. Overall, attending an NBA game can often be an expensive proposition, but prices do vary wildly and as such it can be possible to find affordable tickets and bargain buys.
Multi-game packages and season tickets are available for fans who wish to attend regularly, and they can provide a cost-saving per game. Tickets for events such as the NBA Summer League grant access to all games played on that day, which can lead to great value of less than USD $8 per game. Otherwise, most fans will be looking at single-game tickets. These are priced dynamically and will fluctuate over time, often accompanied by various service or delivery fees.
For a regular season NBA game, it can be possible to find a ticket for as little as $6, ranging to an excess of $5,000 or $10,000. According to Adam Thompson of Bookies.com, the average cheapest ticket to an NBA game in the 2023-24 season was $55; please note this figure does not include Christmas Day games or Lakers road games, as they heavily skew the prices.
Prices for postseason games are significantly more expensive still, even more so when it’s the NBA Finals. According to ESPN, the cheapest seats for the 2023 NBA Finals before fees started at $450 at Miami Heat’s Kaseya Center and $599 at the Denver Nuggets’ Ball Arena; some resale tickets reached $50,000.
Ticket Prices by Ticket Type
As discussed above, Upper Level tickets – sometimes affectionately nicknamed the “nosebleeds” due to their altitude – are typically the cheapest seats on offer at an NBA game. Prices can vary anywhere from $6 to $150 for a regular season game; at most games you can expect to pay something in the region of $30 to $80.
Lower Level seats tend to be more expensive as they get you closer to the action. While in some cases they may fall as low as $40 or hit $250, they’ll typically range from $80 to $200.
Combining a desirable location with extra benefits and amenities, Club Seats will be more expensive still. These will usually range from around $150 to $350.
Suite/Box seats and Courtside seats are invariably the most expensive seats on offer at a game, and they also have the biggest range – you can easily pay anywhere from $400 to $5,000.
Ticket Prices by Team
Ticket prices vary significantly from team to team. The most recognizable teams and those in the biggest cities will have the most expensive tickets, but they can also fluctuate within a season based on their success. Sometimes, a single star player’s arrival can have an enormous impact on prices as well.
Per information courtesy of Adam Thompson of Bookies.com, the average cost of purchasing the cheapest ticket to see each NBA team in the 2023-24 season was as follows:
| Team | Average Cost of Cheapest Ticket |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks | $155 |
| Golden State Warriors | $120 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $102 |
| Boston Celtics | $101 |
| Chicago Bulls | $82 |
| Brooklyn Nets | $79 |
| Phoenix Suns | $70 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $67 |
| Toronto Raptors | $67 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $67 |
| Miami Heat | $56 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $53 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $50 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $50 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $45 |
| Sacramento Kings | $42 |
| Orlando Magic | $42 |
| San Antonio Spurs | $39 |
| Denver Nuggets | $38 |
| Atlanta Hawks | $38 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $37 |
| Washington Wizards | $32 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $30 |
| Houston Rockets | $29 |
| Detroit Pistons | $27 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $26 |
| Utah Jazz | $25 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $25 |
| Indiana Pacers | $25 |
| Charlotte Hornets | $22 |
Please note, this figure does not include Christmas Day games or Lakers road games, as they heavily skew the prices.
Finding Cheap Tickets
As discussed above, if you don’t mind being further from the action, purchasing seats on the upper tier will almost always be cheaper than elsewhere in the venue.
For most games, it can often be beneficial to wait until close to tipoff to get the best prices. As the game approaches, prices usually drop as sellers become desperate to sell their inventory of tickets, meaning fans who don’t mind a little uncertainty – or a limited choice of seats – can often find a last-minute bargain. However, big matchups between old rivals and other popular games may sell out quickly; in these cases it’s often best to buy as early as possible or you may be left to the whims of the secondary market.
If you can be flexible as to when you attend a game, weeknights are usually much cheaper than weekend games with teams eager to get as many fans through the door as possible. Likewise, flexibility in who you see in action will also help, as fixtures featuring more illustrious teams will naturally be more expensive. Pre-season games or games late in the regular season after a team has failed to qualify for the playoffs are also usually very affordable.
Koobit compares prices from a range of primary and secondary ticket sellers from across the marketplace to help you secure the best deals.
Ticket Delivery
Physical event tickets are becoming increasingly rare these days, and the NBA is no exception with most sellers providing digital tickets. These are usually available instantly within minutes of making your purchase, although some may take several hours. Any that take longer usually list a specific ship date or time.
Planning Parking & Travel for an NBA Game
Some NBA arenas have on-site parking available for pre-booking, but due to them often having downtown locations, parking close by can be limited. In most cases there will be multiple private car parking options in the vicinity that can be purchased in advance, but you may need to be prepared for a moderate walk. On average, parking for an NBA game will set you back around $25, but it could be as low as $10 or in excess of $40. However, the downtown locations usually mean the venues are well-connected in terms of public transport, so taking the bus or using local metro services are often viable methods of arrival. Parking details and other venue travel information including public transport can be found on Koobit by clicking the event’s Travel & Parking tab.
Booking Accommodation When Attending an NBA Game
All 30 NBA basketball teams are located in major cities around the United States and Canada, so there is usually an abundance of accommodation options in the vicinity of each venue. The price of accommodation will vary significantly based on its proximity to the venue and the particular city its in – you can generally expect to pay more to stay in Manhattan close to Madison Square Garden than you would in Charlotte by the Spectrum Center. Accommodation and tourism information for each city can be found on Koobit by clicking the event’s Accommodation and Destination tabs, which also include a map of places to stay and book near to the venue.
Top Tips for Buying NBA Tickets
- Resale tickets will often drop in price dramatically in the final hours and minutes prior to tipoff
- Upper Level tickets are more affordable but can still provide a great view in many cases
- Buy early if the game is likely to sell out
- Weeknight games are cheaper than weekends
- The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics are typically the most expensive teams to see in action
- The cheapest teams to see are the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, and Oklahoma City Thunder