The average resale price for a ticket to Thursday night's Game 1 is the most expensive secondary market price in the NBA Finals of the last four years, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.
StubHub reports the average price of a resale ticket for the contest at Oracle Arena in Oakland at $1,535, close to $1,000 more than a similar ducat to Game 1 of last year's finals between LeBron James's Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, when the average was $460. In 2013, it was $558.
Ticketmaster meanwhile, has two courtside seats under one basket for a ridiculous $58,250 each. Want to impress a date? Spend almost $120,000 on three hours worth of entertainment.
James – still the face of the NBA – is back this year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Golden State Warriors are an entertaining team enjoying strong national TV ratings thanks to players like Stephen Curry. Last year, Game 1 was played in San Antonio, a smaller market. The Warriors' base in the Bay Area represents the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The Warriors restrict season ticket holders from selling seats through secondary markets, something StubHub is suing the team and Ticketmaster over.