For those hoping to get an up close look at LeBron James — and hopefully Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — during the NBA playoffs, the Lakers are offering a ‘new premium experience.’
Revealed on Thursday morning, the Lakers front office announced a second-row of courtside seating will be made available during the postseason.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect According to the press release, floor seats at games have been sold out for nearly 50 years.
“The new on-floor seating features premium hospitality, including in-seat food and beverage service, VIP club access and a seamless, elevated experience from the moment guests enter the arena.”
Courtside tickets for Lakers game typically cost between $4,000-$10,000 per seat depending on the day of the week and the matchup. For the postseason, that cost can range from $20,000-$40,000, again dependent on the game and matchup.
Beginning with the Showtime Lakers in 1979, courtside seats at the famed and then-named Staples Center were some of the most-have tickets in all of sports entertainment. Courtside tickets at Crypto.com Arena are widely considered one of the best vantage points in all of the NBA considering the amount of star power who typically attend Lakers games.
Jack Nicholson is the most famous Lakers fan, consistently seen courtside since the 1970s, although his appearances lately have dropped off. Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ice Cube, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Justin Bieber, Eddie Murphy and Dustin Hoffman are other celebrities who are consistently seen courtside at games.
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led that ‘Showtime” era, which was followed by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal winning three straight titles from 2000-2002. Bryant then became the main attraction before retiring in 2016 — which led to the next generation of stars. James and Anthony Davis combined with a title in 2020, before the team’s current iteration and its new Big 3 of James, Doncic and Reaves.
