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Ken Fulk might seem like he prefers watching sports from a stadium suite. After all, the San Francisco-based decorator designed a handful of hospitality clubs at NBA arenas. But, if offered a choice between a cushy skybox and a courtside seat, Fulk would much rather be in the crowd.
“I apply it to concerts, I apply it to the ballet,” he tells ELLE Decor. “It doesn't matter, you want to be down in it.”
It’s an eternal debate among a certain set: sit on the hardwood or enjoy the game from a mini-penthouse a few dozen feet up from the court? The issue is compounded at basketball games, because the NBA is the only major sports league in North America that allows fans to purchase seats directly on the playing surface. At the NBA finals this week, there’s a stark divide between the courtsiders (Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller) and the suite set (Pete Davidson, Jaxson Dart).
Nebraska v Cincinnati
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium.
It’s hardly a settled debate among NBA bigwigs even during the regular season. James Dolan, the New York sports kingpin, opts to sit underneath the basket near his team’s bench. Other billionaire owners, like Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, prefer front-row seats near center court. Tony Ressler, the private equity executive who purchased the Atlanta Hawks, sits about ten rows up from the court. Mark Cuban, who recently sold a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks, occasionally sat in the coaches’ row just behind the players. And for many years, the Buss family watched their Los Angeles Lakers from a suite.
Cleveland Cavaliers v New York Knicks - Game One
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Courtside seats, featuring Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet, at Madison Square Garden.
Up in the sky, it can feel like watching from an apartment. There’s usually a delectable spread, a roving attendant, a private bathroom, cushy seats, television sets, and a modicum of privacy. But it’s a vastly different experience from being inches away from the seven-foot superstars. “You're watching these ants run around down below you,” says Shark Tank co-host Kevin O’Leary about the suite experience. “You're not really in it.”
“You're watching these ants run around down below you,” says Shark Tank co-host Kevin O’Leary. “You're not really in it.”
Down on the floor, it’s slightly less comfortable thanks to folding chairs and attendants who can’t take ticket-holders’ tequila orders until there is a pause in the game. It can also be stressful: spilling drinks or popcorn can ruin the experience for twenty-thousand fans. But, it’s worthwhile for many. “You're in the narrative with the players,” says O’Leary. “If they know who you are, on a break, they'll come over and talk. I mean, it's a really unique experience.”
As a go-to banker in the sports world, Salvatore Galatioto has spent countless nights in NBA arenas. He believes scarcity is part of what makes sitting on the court so special. “Now, being in a suite is great at most sporting events,” he says. “But because of the limited number of seats on the court, if you can sit courtside, in my opinion, there's nothing like it.”
Simon David, who runs luxury event concierge company Confirmed360, says even though some of his clients might prefer the courtside experience, social graces often necessitate a suite. They’d rather shell-out to host two dozen or so people instead of bringing just one person courtside. “There are certain clients that say, ‘I don't want to be seen with only this one person, because then I'll have 20 people mad at me,’” he says.
“The most important element is who you are at the game with. Boring people make for boring games.” —Mark Cuban
For Cuban, sitting near the action is an integral part of his identity, but he also enjoys the social component. In an e-mail to ELLE Decor, he said his seatmates matter more to him than his proximity to the game. “The most important element is who you are at the game with. Boring people make for boring games,” he wrote.
Memphis Grizzlies v Dallas Mavericks
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Mark Cuban, far left, courtside at American Airlines Center on November 22.
But still, for some game-goers, nothing is quite like being in the action, no matter who is around.
“You want sweat hitting you in the face, like that's the thrill of it,” adds Fulk. “I think as amazing as the boxes are, I think they remove you from it.”
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Andrew Zucker works at a production company in New York City. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, and Air Mail, among other publications.