Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James defends New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 03: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks in action against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game at Madison Square Garden on February 03, 2024 in New York City. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The future of LeBron James is up in the air with some fans fearing this will be his final season. James has not yet hinted about retirement, but he does embrace that he is unsure about the future. Various road games have seen massive ticket price increases due to the Los Angeles Lakers’ general casual fan appeal and LeBron potentially playing his final season.
Sunday’s game at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks shows a historic ticket price rise. Knicks reporter Stefan Bondy reported the following price for the anticipated game:
“According to TickPick, Knicks-Lakers on Sunday is the most expensive NBA game since Kobe’s final appearance in 2016. The average purchase price for Sunday is $912, according to TickPick.”
New Yorkers are not holding back from the potential final road trip for a legend like James visiting Madison Square Garden. The long career of LeBron has seen him publicly admitting he loves to put on a show when visiting New York and the world’s most famous arena. Fans should expect an exciting game since both teams are playing well and there will be multiple All-Stars on both teams.
Kobe’s Final Lakers Game Still Ahead
The last time a regular season game was this expensive came in 2016 for Kobe Bryant’s final game at home for the Lakers. Live fans wanted to see a historic night of an iconic player saying farewell, and they got treated to a truly classic game that lives in infamy.
Bryant scored 60 points and hit a game-winning shot over the Utah Jazz to reward fans paying massive ticket prices at an average price in the $1,000 range. Celebrities and NBA legends attending the game also raised the prices since it felt like a historical moment for any diehard basketball fans.
Sunday’s game doesn’t hold anywhere near the same appeal, unless LeBron is indeed retiring at the end of this season and has a classic performance. Knicks fans have made New York among the highest ticket prices in sports, with average ticket prices in the $350 range for games not holding any special appeal. This price rise shows extra importance for the regular season showdown.
Will Lakers Fans Take Over MSG?
The Lakers have arguably the strongest fan base in the entire NBA when looking at their road games and the crowd coming to see them. Previous New York games have seen the Lakers or LeBron getting cheered over the Knicks home team.
However, the Knicks are currently the best they’ve been since the late 1990s run of constant title contention. Today’s fans expect New York to make the NBA Finals, and it has increased the passion at home games after many years of lackluster results.
An electric atmosphere should make for a fun game between two teams hoping to contend for a title. James and Luka Doncic could see Austin Reaves return this game to make up their impressive superstar trio for this highly anticipated game against New York. NBC will carry the game for their first “Basketball Night in America” presentation on Sunday night.