NBA Basketball
Experience the Thrill Live
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Experience the Thrill Live
The NBA runs from October through June, delivering 82 regular season games per team followed by a playoff gauntlet that produces some of the most dramatic moments in all of sports. The 2026/2027 season features a loaded landscape of contenders, emerging superstars, and a handful of franchises making serious pushes after years of rebuilding. Attending an NBA game in person reveals dimensions of the sport that broadcasts miss entirely: the speed of the athletes, the constant communication between players, and the way a crowd can shift momentum with a single possession.
Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles is the home of the Lakers and Clippers and one of the busiest entertainment venues in the world. Located in the L.A. Live complex, the arena is surrounded by restaurants, bars, and the Grammy Museum, making it easy to build an entire evening around a game. Inside, the arena holds 19,068 for basketball and features premium clubs like the Chairman's Room, where celebrities and high-profile guests are regularly spotted. Lakers home games carry a unique energy shaped by decades of championship history and a celebrity-filled crowd.
Chase Center in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood opened in 2019 and immediately set a new standard for NBA arenas. The Warriors' home features a massive waterfront plaza, craft food vendors from Bay Area restaurants, and a Thrive City outdoor entertainment space that hosts free events on game days. The arena itself seats 18,064 and was designed with acoustics in mind, meaning the crowd noise stays inside and builds to deafening levels during playoff runs. The sightlines from every section are excellent thanks to the bowl's steep rake.
The United Center in Chicago remains one of the NBA's most imposing arenas. Home to the Bulls and built in the shadow of Michael Jordan's legacy, the 20,917-seat venue still features the iconic Jordan statue outside the main entrance. The United Center's midcourt sections offer a commanding view of the floor, and the arena's sheer size means that even upper deck tickets put you in a building that buzzes with energy from tip-off to the final horn.
Courtside seats at an NBA game are the closest you can get to professional athletes in action. You are literally feet from the baseline, with no barrier between you and the court. At Crypto.com Arena, courtside seats run along the first two rows and are typically occupied by season ticket holders, but they do appear on StubHub for individual games, usually starting around $800-1,500 depending on the opponent.
For the best overall viewing experience, center court seats in the lower bowl (sections around mid-court, rows 10-20) provide an ideal balance of proximity and perspective. You can see both baskets clearly, follow ball movement, and appreciate the spacing and athleticism that defines modern NBA offense. These sections are usually priced between $150 and $400 on StubHub for regular season games.
Upper bowl center court seats are the hidden gem of NBA ticketing. At Chase Center, the 200-level sections directly across from the benches offer a near-broadcast-angle view at a fraction of lower bowl prices, often in the $50-100 range. The steep seating angle at Chase Center means you never feel disconnected from the action even in the highest rows. Corner upper bowl seats are typically the most affordable in the building but can make it harder to follow plays developing on the far end.
Crypto.com Arena sits at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Chick Hearn Court in downtown LA. Driving is an option, but parking in the surrounding L.A. Live garages fills up fast and runs $30-50 on game nights. The smarter play is to take the LA Metro. The Pico station on the A and E lines is a five-minute walk to the arena entrance. If you are coming from Hollywood or the Westside, the Metro gets you there without dealing with downtown traffic or parking.
Chase Center offers one of the most unique transit options in pro sports: a ferry from Oakland. The San Francisco Bay Ferry runs a special game-day route from the Oakland Jack London Square terminal directly to the Chase Center ferry landing. The ride takes about 20 minutes and drops you within a short walk of the arena entrance. It is scenic, avoids bridge traffic entirely, and has become a fan-favorite way to arrive. Alternatively, Muni's T-Third Street line stops right at the arena.
At the United Center, street parking on the surrounding residential blocks is free but fills up quickly. The arena's official lots charge $30-40, and the CTA 20 Madison bus route runs directly to the venue from downtown Chicago. Rideshare drop-off on Wood Street is well organized, and the post-game pickup zone clears out faster than the parking lots.
NBA ticket prices on the secondary market vary enormously by matchup. A Tuesday night game between two rebuilding teams might have upper deck seats available for $20-30, while a Lakers-Warriors weekend showdown can command $200+ for nosebleeds. Christmas Day games, nationally televised Saturday primetime matchups, and any game featuring a visiting superstar carry premium prices.
StubHub's interactive seating maps let you compare views from different sections before purchasing, which is especially valuable in arenas like the United Center where the sheer size can make section selection tricky. Filter by price and sort by best value to find seats that balance cost and viewing quality. For Lakers and Warriors games specifically, weeknight matchups against smaller-market teams are your best bet for affordable tickets.
Courtside seats place you in the first two rows along the baseline and sideline, just feet from the court. These are the most expensive tickets in the arena, often $800-2,000+ per seat on StubHub depending on the teams and significance of the game. Some arenas also offer floor seats in rows 3-5 at a lower price point.
Absolutely. The ferry from Oakland's Jack London Square takes about 20 minutes, avoids all bridge and parking traffic, and drops you right at the arena. It runs pre- and post-game on event nights. The views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline at night are a bonus.
Weeknight games (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) against smaller-market or rebuilding teams consistently have the lowest prices. Early-season games in October and November are also generally more affordable than late-season games with playoff implications. Check StubHub a few days before the game for the best deals.
Most NBA arenas allow one sealed bottle of water per person but do not permit outside food. Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center, and the United Center all have extensive concession options inside, including premium dining areas for fans with club-level tickets. Check your specific venue's policy before heading to the game.