
The Most Expensive NBA Teams to See Live
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.
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)
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.
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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.
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
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.
15. Denver Nuggets
- Premium tickets: $296
- Average ticket price: $152
- Lowest ticket price: $8
- Beer: $10
- Nachos: $8
- Parking: $8.50 -$27
- Hat: $32
16. Washington Wizards
- Premium tickets: $271
- Average ticket price: $138
- Lowest ticket price: $7
- Beer: $13
- Nachos: $8
- Parking: $20-$27
- Hat: $31.99
Pictured is former Wizards player Antawn Jamison, who is now a TV basketball analyst.
17. L.A. Clippers
- Premium tickets: $271
- Average ticket price: $137
- Lowest ticket price: $6
- Beer: $11
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $15.50-$22
- Hat: $36
18. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Premium tickets: $268
- Average ticket price: $135
- Lowest ticket price: $6
- Beer: $10
- Nachos: $9.75
- Parking: $15 -$20
- Hat: $31
Above, the Cavs’ George Hill drives past teammate Collin Sexton during a scrimmage at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio in 2018.
19. Atlanta Hawks
- Premium tickets: $267
- Average ticket price: $143
- Lowest ticket price: $19
- Beer: $5 (cheapest of all)
- Nachos: $3 (cheapest of all)
- Parking: $15 -$18
- Hat: $29.99
A soda is just $3 at a Hawks game, the cheapest, along with the Charlotte Hornets. Above, Atlanta Hawks center Oleksiy Alex Len is seen in Ukraine.
20. Detroit Pistons
- Premium tickets: $266
- Average ticket price: $135
- Lowest ticket price: $4 (lowest of all)
- Beer: $11.50
- Nachos: $6
- Parking: $23 -$32
- Hat: $40 (most expensive)
21. Indiana Pacers
- Premium tickets: $252
- Average ticket price: $130
- Lowest ticket price: $8
- Beer: $10
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $17.50 - $25
- Hat: $32
Above, Pacers cheerleaders participate in the Indy 500 Parade in 2018.
22. Orlando Magic
- Premium tickets: $249
- Average ticket price: $127
- Lowest ticket price: $7
- Beer: $9
- Nachos: $5
- Parking: $10 -$15
- Hat: $27.99 (one of four teams with the lowest price)
23. Dallas Mavericks
- Premium tickets: $245
- Average ticket price: $124
- Lowest ticket price: $6
- Beer: $14
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $7.50-$22
- Hat: $30
Pictured is the Mavericks' Kristaps Porzingis.
24. Portland Trail Blazers
- Premium tickets: $233
- Average ticket price: $119
- Lowest ticket price: $7
- Beer: $11
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $18.50-$34
- Hat: $31.99
Pictured is the Trail Blazers’ Kent Bazemore.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Premium tickets: $204
- Average ticket price: $107
- Lowest ticket price: $10
- Beer: $11
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $10 - $12.50
- Hat: $36
26. Memphis Grizzlies
- Premium tickets: $203
- Average ticket price: $104
- Lowest ticket price: $7
- Beer: $12
- Nachos: $7
- Parking: $7.50- $24
- Hat: $27.99 (one of four teams with the lowest price)
27. Charlotte Hornets
- Premium tickets: $173
- Average ticket price: $89
- Lowest ticket price: $7
- Beer: $7
- Nachos: $4
- Parking: $15-$20
- Hat: $29.99
A soda is just $3 at a Hornets game, the cheapest along with the Atlanta Hawks.
28. Utah Jazz
- Premium tickets: $142
- Average ticket price: $78
- Lowest ticket price: $14
- Beer: $10
- Nachos: $6
- Parking: $7.50-$10
- Hat: $30
Above, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert during a scrimmage game at Hill Air Force Base in Utah in 2017.
29. Phoenix Suns
- Premium tickets: $110
- Average ticket price: $61
- Lowest ticket price: $12
- Beer: $13
- Nachos: $9
- Parking: $14-$15
- Hat: $31.99
Pictured is the Suns’ Kelly Oubre Jr. in New York during New York Fashion Week in 2017.