From November 1st through the middle of April one of the most exciting things to do in LA is to attend an LA Lakers basketball game at Staples center. Win or loose, it is a blast. It is the one place that you are guaranteed to see at least one celebrity, often a lot more.
The LA Lakers normally play about 40 home games a season. That averages about two per week. Check out the LA Lakers schedule at www.lakers.com.
Once you decide to see a game, the best way to get tickets is through the LA Lakers Ticket Exchange. This is where LA Lakers Season Ticket Holders sell tickets to games that they can't attend. You can find the link to the LA Lakers Ticket Exchange at www.lakers.com. Click on the Tickets link in the upper right corner and then click on the link in the center of the page to the Ticket Exchange.
Season Ticket Holders can offer tickets for sale for face value or above. The ticket exchange adds 20% which is split between Ticketmaster and the team. The total price per ticket, including the 20% mark-up is what is shown in the listing. There is a $1.95 charge per ticket authentication and ticketFast™ delivery fee. During the season, tickets are listed for virtually every game. The listing is from highest price to lowest price. Prices range from face value to three to four times face value for the most popular games. You can count on paying a large premium to see the Lakers play Boston, Cleveland, Phoenix, or San Antonio. There is a seat map on the web site so you can see where the seats are located for tickets you are interested in.
The best part of the ticket exchange is the way the tickets are normally delivered: via email. All tickets will be delivered electronically via ticketFast™. They are emailed immediately after payment to you as a PDF attachment. This allows you to print your tickets from any standard printer.
Staples Center is easy to find. Maps and directions can be found at www.staplescenter.com. While Staples Center is easy to find, sometimes parking is not. The Metro Blue Pico stationis within one short block of Staples Center. It is convenient and will cost a lot less than parking for two people. Parking is typically from $15.00 and up; higher the closer the lot is to Staples Center.
There is an abundance of food and drink outlets at Staples Center, including the best value, MacDonalds. While higher than MacDonalds outside of Staples Center it is the least expensive meal at the arena. Just about every food outlet except MacDonalds sells beer. A large beer will run between $8.50 and $10.00.
Seeing an LA Lakers game in person is so different than watching one on TV. The energy of the crowd yelling "defense" is awesome! Win or loose, you'll have a great time. Remember, the Lakers have more wins than any other NBA team!