LOS ANGELES — With LeBron James on the cusp of breaking the NBA all-time scoring record, people are willing to pay to catch a piece of history.
The average price of a Los Angeles Lakers ticket for next week's games at Crypto.com Arena has nearly tripled as demand to witness James toppling former Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record skyrocketed in recent weeks.
Since Jan. 25, fans, on average, have been paying $681 per ticket for the Feb. 7 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and $674 for the Feb. 9 game against the Bucks, according to Logitix, a tech and analytics company that manages tickets for live events, including sporting events and concerts.
Just from sales on Feb. 1 alone, Logitix officials said fans were paying $598 per ticket for the Thunder game and $963 for the Bucks game.
The data does not include list prices or ticketing fees.
Logitix officials told Spectrum News that no other Lakers games are seeing a significant impact in price.
Before Jan. 25, fans paid only $228 per ticket for the Thunder game and $397 for the Bucks game, Logitix officials said.
On average, fans paid $241 per ticket for all Lakers home games in January.
"There is nothing like experiencing a live event and creating memories with family and friends," Greg Nortman, president of Logitix, told Spectrum News. "If you combine that live event with a historical moment, it can be truly special. People are willing to pay more to have that type of experience."
James is only 89 points away from surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record of 38,387 points. Abdul-Jabbar played for the Bucks and Lakers over 21 seasons, winning six championships before retiring at 42 in 1984. With a nearly unblockable sky hook, Abdul-Jabbar is considered one of the greatest NBA players.
The 37-year-old James has been in the league for 18 years and started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the Miami Heat and Lakers. He's led his teams to four championships, most recently with the Lakers in 2020.
Nortman said it's common to see ticket prices skyrocket when an NBA player nears a milestone or is on the cusp of breaking an NBA record.
In December 2021, when Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry neared former Celtics and Heat guard Ray Allen's NBA career three-point record, demand for tickets to capture that milestone against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York sold for 74% higher than the average ticket price. The average ticket for that record-setting game jumped from $474 to $826, according to Logitix data.
However, with James closing in on the record, there's a slim chance he could break it sooner. The Lakers are playing Thursday against the Indiana Pacers in Indiana and again Saturday, against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans.
He would need a Wilt Chamberlain-type record-setting performance of scoring nearly 100 points to break Abdul-Jabbar's record against the Pacers.
There is a chance he could score 50 Thursday against the Pacers and 40 against the Pelicans to break the record in New Orleans.
If James breaks the record before the home games next week, ticket prices will undoubtedly drop.
"Prices for next week's games will most certainly go back down if LeBron breaks the record by Saturday," said Nortman. "If he scores 50-plus [Thursday] in Indiana, I'm sure we'll also see a spike in tickets for the Lakers in New Orleans on Saturday. He would be less than 40 points away in that scenario."
James currently averages about 30 points per game this season. The most he's scored this season is 48. His best one-game scoring record was 61 points when he was a Heat against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014.
Nortman said Logitix's analytics team would see price shifts as James closes in on the record. There's a 50-50 chance that James will break the record on Tuesday against the Thunder or Feb. 9 against the Bucks.
"If LeBron puts up 50 [on Thursday], that trend will swing immediately to increased demand for [Tuesday]," said Nortman. "If he scores 15 [on Thursday], I'm sure we'll see prices rise for the game on [Feb. 9]. If he continues to score right on his average, demand for both games will remain high for the next several days."