Breaking down ticket prices for 2022 NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Winning doesn’t come cheap in the NBA – just ask the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and their fans.
The two organizations are facing off in the 2022 NBA Finals. The series began at the Warriors’ home arena, Chase Center in San Francisco, and will shift to Boston’s TD Garden on Wednesday. Millions will be tuning in from home, but thousands of spectators will also pay eye-popping prices to get into the building.
The Warriors and Celtics both ranked in the top-five most expensive NBA teams for tickets and overall “Fan Cost Index” during the 2021-22 season, according to Team Marketing Report. Average ticket prices for both teams surpassed $100, and they have gone up exponentially for the Finals.
How much do NBA Finals tickets cost?
Before the Finals tipped off, tickets were going for record prices.
Local
Game 1 tickets were going for an average price of $873 on Vivid Seats a day before the series started, making it the most expensive event at Chase Center since the venue opened in 2019 (h/t ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren).
Game 1 was the most expensive game of the NBA season for all of three days. Tickets for Sunday’s Game 2 were starting at $820 after fees on TicketMaster as of Friday (h/t SF Gate’s Andrew Koopman).
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With the Finals returning to Boston for the first time in 12 years, it’s no surprise that TD Garden ticket prices are just as insane. The cheapest tickets for Game 3, the first game in Boston on Wednesday, start at $662 before fees.
Friday’s Game 4 takes things to another level. There are only a handful of tickets that are listed below four figures – again, before fees – starting at $955 on Vivid Seats.
Should the series reach a decisive Game 7, the starting price for a spot inside Chase Center has already exceeded $1,100.
How much are courtside Finals tickets?
Those prices mentioned above merely get you into the building. If you want to get close to the action, the prices get even more obscene.
The most expensive seats for Game 3 in Boston are in section VIP2, Row A, which is right behind the visitor bench. Those tickets are listed for $22,044 a pop before fees – almost as much as the fine the Miami Heat received for violating NBA rules from that very bench in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The priciest seats for Game 4 in Boston are similar to Game 3. Tickets in the same section top out at $22,693 before fees.
The lowest price for a seat in a VIP section for Game 3 is $6,356. For Game 4, it’s $7,475.
Looking ahead to a potential Game 7, the most expensive seats enter six-figure territory. A pair of seats in Rise 3, Row A5, behind the Chase Center scorer’s table are listed for $116,197 per ticket before fees on Vivid Seats. That number could get a Warriors fan 833 average tickets for a regular season contest.
