Ticket prices for historic Lakers game skyrocket as LeBron James approaches NBA scoring record

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is set to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history sometime next week, and being in the arena for such a historic night is an unforgettable experience. will be The problem, of course, is that we can never know for sure in which games he will break the record.

James needs 89 points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. Given his current 30.2 points-per-game average, James is likely to be the new flag-bearer either against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 7 or against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9. Both are home games for the Lakers, and entering the Crypto.com milestone night arena will cost quite a bit.

Average ticket prices for the Lakers’ game with the Thunder on Tuesday rose to $1,152, up 390% from day one of the 2022-23 season, according to data from ticket marketplace Vivid Seats. The lowest “get-in” price for that game is currently $326.

Thursday’s game against the Bucks happens to be nationally televised, so the cost is even higher. His average price is $1,302, up 175% from the start of the season, and the current “get” cost is $357. The Bucks and Lakers are the only two franchises Abdul-Jabbar has played in during his 20-year career, so this game has a little special meaning. So, according to Vivid Seats, it’s his second hottest ticket this season after his season opener against the Clippers.

If James had been lucky enough to predict that he would break the record on one of those dates and buy a ticket on the first day of the season, he would have saved over $1,000. Also, he could make big profits in the secondary market if he decided to sell tickets without necessarily devoting himself to seeing the games in person.

Interestingly, fans don’t think James’ pursuit will continue until the Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on February 11. However, if James has a characteristically low-scoring night in any of his next four games, or misses one of them due to injury or rest (currently for Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers) Doubtful), expect those prices to go up. Roof.

Another piece of LeBron James power: Vivid Sheet’s fan forecast predicts that 54% of the crowd at Saturday’s game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans will actually be Lakers fans.People across the country clearly want to witness James’ pursuit of history, even if he’s unlikely to break the record that night. decided to change the start time The game airs on ESPN2 from 8:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET.

Now in his 20th season in the NBA, the 38-year-old James is looking to lead the Lakers into the postseason, posting 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, the third-highest scoring average of his career. ing. He scored a season-high 48 points against the Houston Rockets in January, and his career-high is a 61-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014.