For the first time in its history, the NBA is taking its All-Star Weekend to the Queen City. The site of this year’s festivities, Toronto, is known for hockey, primarily the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the strong play of the Toronto Raptors has made the city very enthusiastic about basketball. Enthusiasm for the NBA has spilled over into the secondary ticket market—and ticket prices are skyrocketing.
According to TiqIQ, the average ticket price for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game is currently $2,932.26 on the secondary ticket market. The get-in price for the game is $670. Ticket prices are approaching five-year highs as enthusiasm builds for this weekend’s events.
NBA All-Star Weekend will feature three night of exciting action. On Friday, February 12, fans will enjoy the All-Star Celebrity Game and the Rising Stars Challenge. The All-Star Celebrity Challenge will take place at the Ricoh Coliseum, where the average ticket price for the game is approximately $400 while the get-in price is about $150. Drake and Kevin Hart will serve as coaches in a “Canada vs. USA” format. The Rising Stars Challenge will take place at the Air Canada Centre, where the average ticket price for the game is approximately $190 while the get-in price is $109. The Rising Stars Challenge will feature a “USA vs. World” format and will feature some of the NBA’s brightest young stars.
On Saturday, February 13, some of the NBA’s best specialists will take part in NBA All-Star Saturday Night. While the dunk contest has historically garnered the most attention, fans will be locked into the 3-Point contest. Reigning league MVP, Stephen Curry will compete against a talented field that includes teammate Klay Thompson and Houston’s James Harden. Other contests include the Skills challenge, which usually lends itself to smaller guards, but this year will see some big men participate such as DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns. The average ticket price for All-Star Saturday Night is approximately $1,800.
Finally, the NBA’s best players will take the court on Sunday, February 14 for the 65th NBA All-Star Game. Several key story lines will be in play when the stars take the court. It will be the 18th (and final) All-Star game for retiring Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Raptors stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan will get to show off for the home crowd while all eyes will be glued on LeBron James and members of the reigning NBA champion, Golden State Warriors. Fans should expect a relatively close game since only two of the last 13 NBA All-Star games have been decided by ten or more points.
Cheap travel arrangements to Toronto can be made via Hipmunk.com, a site that offers the best deals on flights and hotels to the NBA All-Star Weekend. Fans flying from New York to Toronto on Friday, February 12, and returning on Monday, February 16, will pay $365 for a round-trip ticket. Hotel prices in Toronto on Hipmunk range from $149 to $899 for this weekend, so plenty of accommodations are available.
NBA All-Star Weekend is an exhibition, but fans always enjoy watching the NBA’s best players compete. Ticket prices are reaching 5-year highs, but given the quality of talent on the court, this year’s edition of NBA All-Star Weekend figures to be a treat. Check out TiqIQ for some great deals for the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend.
