As LeBron James nears NBA scoring record, ticket prices for potentially historic Laker games are skyrocketing
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is expected to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer next week, and being in the arena for such a historic night would be a unforgettable experience. The problem, of course, is that we can’t know for sure which game he will break the record.
James needs to score 89 more points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. Given his current average of 30.2 points per game, James is likely to become the new flag bearer against the Oklahoma Thunder. City on February 7 or the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9. Both are Lakers home games and enter Crypto. com Arena for the milestone evening is going to cost you a pretty penny.
According to Vivid Seats ticket market data, the average cost of tickets for the Lakers’ game against the Thunder on Tuesday has risen to $1,152, an incredible 390% increase since day one of the 2022-23 season. The cheapest “entry” price for this game is currently $326.
Thursday’s game against the Bucks, which is also nationally televised, will cost even more. The average price is $1,302, a jump of 175% since the start of the season, with a current “entry” cost of $357. This game holds a little extra significance since the Bucks and Lakers are the only two franchises Abdul-Jabbar has played for in his 20-year career. As a result, it’s the second hottest ticket of the season behind the season opener against the Clippers, per Vivid Seats.
February 7 vs. Thunder
$235
$1,152
+390%
$326
Feb. 9 vs. Bucks
$474
$1,302
+175%
$357
If you had been lucky enough to predict that James would break the record on one of those dates and bought the tickets on the first day of the season, you could have saved up to $1,000. Plus, if you weren’t necessarily determined to see the game in person and decided to sell the tickets, you could make a significant profit in the secondary market.
Interestingly, fans don’t seem to think James’ pursuit will last until the Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 11, as the average ticket price for that game actually went from $984 to $864. However, if James has an unusually weak night in any of his next four games, or if he sits out one of them through injury or rest (it is currently debatable for Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers), expect those prices to pass. The roof.
Another tidbit that speaks to the power of LeBron James: Vivid Seats’ Fan Forecast predicts that 54% of Saturday’s game viewers at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans will actually be Laker fans. While he’s unlikely to break the record that night, people across the country clearly want to witness James’ historic quest. As such, the NBA has decided to change the start time from 8 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET, and the game will now air on ESPN2.
Currently in his 20th NBA season, James, 38, is posting the third-highest scoring average of his career to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game as he tries to lead the Lakers to the playoffs. playoffs. He scored a season-high 48 points against the Houston Rockets in January, and his career-high 61 points against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014.