The Whole Journey to Get Courtside Seats
Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with the Lakers forever, right? And sitting courtside? That’s like the ultimate dream. You see celebs doing it on TV and think, “Man, how do I even get close?” I decided to actually figure this out for myself this season, step-by-step, like a total newbie. Here’s exactly what went down.
First, I started where anyone would: Google. Just typed “buy LA Lakers courtside tickets”. Boom, tons of results. But it was messy. Saw Ticketmaster, some reseller sites I didn’t totally trust, official Lakers stuff. Felt overwhelming.
My gut said “Go Official”. So I hit the Lakers official website. Dug around until I found something like “Premium Seating” or “Memberships”. That’s where the fancy seats live, usually. They had this whole section for “Courtside Club” or whatever fancy name it is.
This wasn’t gonna be easy or cheap. Learned real quick:
- Courtside isn’t like buying a single game ticket off Ticketmaster. Nope.
- It’s a whole “season ticket” thing. You buy the whole season’s worth of games for THAT seat.
- Price? Well… let’s just say it’s mortgage payment territory. Serious dough.
Next step: Hit that “Inquire” button. Filled out this form online. Basic stuff: Name, email, phone, maybe how many seats I wanted. Felt kinda formal. They asked stuff like “Are you representing a business or buying personally?” – clicked “personally” while chuckling at my bank balance.
Then, radio silence. For like… two days? Started thinking, “Did I mess up the form? Did they see my email address and laugh?” Felt a bit silly.
Boom! Phone call. Private number. Answered hesitantly. It was the Lakers Premium Sales team! Real person! Lady named Sarah or something. Super nice, but professional. Felt important getting called directly.
The Real Talk Began:
- She confirmed I wanted info on Courtside Season Tickets specifically.
- Laid out the brutal price range. Took a deep breath. Didn’t faint.
- Explained availability is crazy limited. Like, maybe single digits per season. People keep these seats for YEARS.
- Asked if I wanted a specific section – Sideline? Behind the basket? Sideline is priciest but “the show”.
The Invite: Since I sounded somewhat serious (probably just stunned), she invited me down to * Arena for a tour! Said it’s easier to understand the vibe and see the actual seats in person. This felt major. Set up a date and time.
Tour Day Nerves: Dressed semi-nice (no suit, but not gym clothes!). Met my sales rep in the lobby. She walked me through the fancy lower-bowl tunnel, right out onto the court floor WHILE IT WAS EMPTY! Mind blown. Sat in actual courtside chairs. Felt the plush leather. Imagined LeBron walking past. Smelled the polished wood.
The Breakdown: We sat down (right there courtside!) and she got into the nitty-gritty:
- The full season ticket price (again, deep breaths).
- Payment plan options (thank GOD). Usually hefty down payment, then monthly installments. Still huge, but slightly less terrifying spread out.
- What’s included: Not just the seat! Access to the super-fancy Courtside Club lounge (free food, drinks?), maybe VIP parking pass, some merch credit. Like a membership package.
- The commitment: This isn’t yearly auto-renew, but they heavily expect you to keep it if you can.
The Moment of Truth. Felt surreal. I asked the dumb question: “Can I just buy tickets for, like, the Warriors game?” She smiled nicely. “Courtside Season Tickets require purchasing all home games for the season.” Yeah. Duh.
Leaving the Arena: Brain buzzing. It’s expensive. Like, life-alteringly expensive for me. But… actually sitting there… unreal. Seeing the process demystified was huge. They make it feel exclusive, almost like joining a private club.
Did I pull the trigger? Honestly? Not this time. The price tag hit hard, and the commitment feels massive. But going through the whole process – from frantic Googling to sitting courtside with a rep – taught me EXACTLY how it works. It’s not magic. It’s a serious money decision handled through the team directly. Maybe someday… lottery win? But at least now I know the path.
