Report: Warriors-Lakers game on Oct. 18 is 2nd-most expensive regular season game of all time

Interest in the Los Angeles Lakers’ opener against the Golden State Warriors is high enough that the contest is already the second-most expensive ticket ever for an NBA regular season game.

The average price for a ticket to the Oct. 18 game at Chase Center in San Francisco is undoubtedly high because of the circumstances related to the pregame ceremonies. The main event there will be the unveiling of the Warriors’ new championship banner.

Nearly four months ago, the Warriors captured their fourth NBA title in the past eight seasons with a six-game series win in the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics.

Whether or not the final average purchase price for the October game surpasses that of the iconic finale to Kobe Bryant’s legacy is a question that remains to be answered.

During that otherwise meaningless contest against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016, Bryant capped his legendary 20-year career with the Lakers by scoring 60 points.

Over the course of his 42 minutes on the court that night, Bryant connected on 22 shots, including six from beyond the arc. He also knocked down 10 free throws while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists.

As much as the Warriors and their fans want to remember the joy of the team’s first league championship in four years, the Lakers want to just as soon forget the 2021-22 campaign.

That’s because entering last season, the addition of Russell Westbrook seemed to portend another deep playoff run. Instead, Westbrook’s struggles to integrate himself into the lineup and key injuries left the Lakers on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Last season’s woes for the Lakers led to the hiring of new head coach Darvin Ham, who has had previous success as an assistant. His most notable contribution in that role was as a Milwaukee Bucks assistant during the 2020-21 season, when the Bucks captured their first NBA title in 50 years.

For this season’s opener against the Warriors, the Lakers are hoping that recent history repeats itself.

Two seasons ago, the then-defending champion Lakers hosted the Los Angeles Clippers for the first game of their season and lost 116-109. The first half of that contest saw the Clippers jump out to a 39-19 first quarter lead, with the Lakers whittling the deficit down to two by halftime.