NBA Home Opener Get-In prices explored as Knicks charge 24 times the team with least price
The New York Knicks have the most expensive tickets for the NBA's season opening games. The cheapest seats in Madison Square Garden will cost you $216. The LA Lakers come in second, with their cheapest ticket costing fans $179. The Golden State Warriors ($172), Boston Celtics ($171) and Denver Nuggets ($138) round out the top five.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Indiana Pacers have the most affordable "cheap seats" for opening night, costing just $9. That means the Knicks are charging 24 times what the Pacers are asking for, despite neither team having a contending roster. Yet, both have All-Star talents within their roster.
Interestingly, the LA Clippers, who boast three future Hall of Famers in their starting five, charge just $21 for opening night, making them the most affordable contender in the NBA. The closest pricing for a contender is the Miami Heat, charging $41, which is almost double that of the Clippers.
Tickets are always subject to change. Prices fluctuate based on the opponent and the team's positions in the standings. However, the disparity between prices is jarring. Nevertheless, team location plays a significant part, as does market size. The only major outlier is the Clippers, but they have the richest owner in the NBA, Steve Ballmer.
The NBA has two games on opening night
The NBA will get its season underway on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The LA Lakers will get the season underway with a contest against the Denver Nuggets. That game will be a repeat of last season's Western Conference finals, where the Lakers lost.
The Golden State Warriors will then face the Phoenix Suns. However, that contest has already lost a little of its shine. Draymond Green will not participate for the Warriors due to an ankle sprain, while Bradley Beal was recently ruled out of for the Suns.
Nevertheless, the NBA has lined up two big-hitting games between four of the best teams in the Western Conference, if not in the NBA. It's a great curtain-raiser for the league and for the respective franchises involved. There will be multiple superstars suiting up, including Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry and LeBron James.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, the NBA will kick into full swing with 12 games taking place. The highlight of those games will be the Dallas Mavericks vs. the San Antonio Spurs due to the presence of Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama — two European stars going head to head in the season opener for their respective teams.