The fans really, really want LeBron James to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s goal mark.
Ticket prices for next week’s Los Angeles Lakers games are skyrocketing. The two games are almost certainly out of reach for the average fan now.
On Wednesday, James is just 89 points off Abdul-Jabbar’s goalscoring record – meaning he likely will next week barring injuries or breaks. The Lakers have two home games next week, first against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and then against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
The ticket prices for these two games are now ridiculous.
All the data from Vivid Seats (with CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger)
Lakers vs. Thunder | February 7th
Lowest Price: $326
Average price: $1,152
Increase since season opener: 390%
Lakers vs. Bucks | February 9th
Lowest Price: $357
Average price: $1,302
Increase since season opener: 175%
If James doesn’t get there by Thursday’s game, his next shot would be Saturday against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. The average price for this game is over $850 – which is down from where it started the year – although it’s sure to go up when the record is in play.
Abdul-Jabbar has a career-high 38,387 points and has held the record since 1984. James wasn’t even born when Abdul-Jabbar first broke the record. James, now in his 20th season in the league, has averaged 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists with the Lakers this season. He also had his first triple-double of the season against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, making him the first player in league history to do so in his 20th season. James also overtook Mark Jackson and Steve Nash for fourth place on the NBA all-time list.
The median price for LeBron James and the Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game is now over $1,100. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)