The Most Expensive NBA Teams to See Live

Based on average ticket prices, here are the NBA teams ranked from most to least expensive for fans, along with the cost of beer, nachos, and parking.

Author:: Samanda Dorger
Publish date:: Dec 19, 2019 7:00 AM EST

Cyrus Saatsaz/Wikipedia

The NFL regular season is wrapping up at the end of the month, but there’s still a good four months of basketball left. If you’re going to see some live basketball, you might need to prepare your wallet, depending on which team you’re seeing.

Getting in the door isn’t even the first step, although likely the priciest — tickets range from a cheap ticket to the Detroit Pistons at an average $4 to premium tickets to the Warriors for around $874. Parking can be as much as $40 in some cities, and of course when you’re there, you might want to have a couple of beers and some nachos, right? That will set you back $37 ($15 for one beer) at the Warriors and $34 at a Dallas Mavericks game. A souvenir hat, perhaps? Set aside another $30 for most teams.

In all, a Warriors game with two premium tickets, average parking, two beers, shared nachos and one souvenir hat will tap you for a whopping $1,837, while a budget-minded New Orleans Pelicans fan can get in the door for $7 a person, $26 for beers and nachos, $10 for parking and a $29 hat — a total of just $79 for two people.

For this list we used data from Onlinegambling.com for its gameday calculator. They gathered data from a variety of sources, including the NBA, team venues, online parking tools, and ticket sales sites to determine average costs for fans to attend an NBA basketball game. Parking prices are given as a range for remote parking to premium parking.

In order of highest average ticket price, here are the NBA teams ranked from most to least expensive for fans.

1. Golden State Warriors

Premium tickets: $874
Average ticket price: $463
Lowest ticket price: $52
Beer: $15 (most expensive)
Nachos: $7
Parking: $9-$40
Hat: $32

Pictured is the Warriors’ Stephen Curry in 2017.

Los Angeles Lakers' Staples Center
4kclips / Shutterstock

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Premium tickets: $857
Average ticket price: $444
Lowest ticket price: $31
Beer: $11
Nachos: $8
Parking: $15.50-$20
Hat: $27.99 (one of four teams with the lowest price)

New York Knicks - Madison Square Garden
rblfmr / Shutterstock

3. New York Knicks

Premium tickets: $561
Average ticket price: $285
Lowest ticket price: $9
Beer: $11
Nachos: $9.75
Parking: $39.50 -$39
Hat: $29.99

At most of the NBA games, a jersey costs about $110. At a Knicks game, it will set you back about $142. Pictured is Madison Square Garden in New York.

4. Chicago Bulls

Premium tickets: $493
Average ticket price: $251
Lowest ticket price: $9
Beer: $10.50
Nachos: $8
Parking: $15 -$25
Hat: $29.99

Most of the teams charge about $110 for a jersey, but a Bulls jersey is just $88, not quite the cheapest, (the Celtics get about $85) but close.

5. Boston Celtics

Premium tickets: $448
Average ticket price: $234
Lowest ticket price: $20
Beer: $11
Nachos: $8
Parking: $26 -$50
Hat: $27.99 (one of four teams with the lowest price)

Good news: Candy is only about $1 at a Celtics game. The Celtics also have the lowest price for a jersey at about $85. Most of the teams charge about $110 for a jersey.

Pictured is Jaylen Brown of the Celtics, in a game against the Wizards.

Brooklyn Nets - Barclays Center
T photography / Shutterstock

6. Brooklyn Nets

Premium tickets: $391
Average ticket price: $212
Lowest ticket price: $33
Beer: $12
Nachos: $7
Parking: $28 -$35
Hat: $36

7. Oklahoma City Thunder

Premium tickets: $390
Average ticket price: $199
Lowest ticket price: $8
Beer: $10
Nachos: $7
Parking: $5-$21
Hat: $31.99

8. San Antonio Spurs

Premium tickets: $384
Average ticket price: $195
Lowest ticket price: $6
Beer: $11
Nachos: $7
Parking: $10-$17
Hat: $37.99

Pictured is former Spurs player Pau Gasol, now with Milwaukee.

9. Philadelphia 76ers

Premium tickets: $383
Average ticket price: $197
Lowest ticket price: $11
Beer: $10
Nachos: $7
Parking: $29
Hat: $29.99

10. Sacramento Kings

Premium tickets: $380
Average ticket price: $198
Lowest ticket price: $16
Beer: $13
Nachos: $7
Parking: $9-$11.50
Hat: $29.99

Above, Kings fans during a Sacramento Kings vs. L.A. Clippers game in 2013.

11. Miami Heat

Premium tickets: $371
Average ticket price: $187
Lowest ticket price: $7
Beer: $10
Nachos: $8
Parking: $20
Hat: $35

Above, Dwyane Wade, who announced his retirement after the 2018-2019 season.

12. Houston Rockets

Premium tickets: $346
Average ticket price: $177
Lowest ticket price: $8
Beer: $12
Nachos: $7
Parking: $12-$15
Hat: $35

Toronto Raptors - Serge Ibaka
Ira Bostic / Shutterstock

13. Toronto Raptors

Premium tickets: $338
Average ticket price: $180
Lowest ticket price: $22
Beer: $11.50
Nachos: $6
Parking: $16
Hat: $39.99

Pictured is the Raptors' Serge Ibaka in 2012, when he was with Oklahoma.

14. Milwaukee Bucks

Premium tickets: $301
Average ticket price: $153
Lowest ticket price: $7
Beer: $12
Nachos: $12 (most expensive)
Parking: $15 -$30
Hat: $38

If you want a soda at a Bucks game, it will set you back about $10, the highest of all the teams. Pictured is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks during a Streetball event in Greece in 2016.