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NBA Finals: Ticket prices leap for Warriors vs Cavaliers

NBA ticket prices spike for Lebron James and Stephen Curry rematch
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NBA ticket prices spike for Lebron James and Stephen Curry rematch

The NBA Finals may be a sequel to last year, but when it comes to ticket prices, it's a brand-new story.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals between LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers and Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors kicks off Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The average list price to attend Game 1 is $1,625, which is up more than 9 percent over last year's price of $1,486.

"This would be the most expensive NBA Finals we have ever tracked," said Chris Matcovich, vice president of data and communications at ticket reseller TiqIQ.

Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors guards LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Getty Images

The prices for the series overall are less expensive than Game 1, with an average sales price of $1,104.

Last year, the Warriors beat the Cavs in six games to win the championship. Many are calling this year's series a dream finals matchup, as two of the NBA's biggest stars are once again together on the big stage.

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This will be James' seventh trip to the NBA Finals, though he's never won a title playing for Cleveland.

For Curry, the NBA's unanimous MVP, it's about capping off a record-breaking season, as the Warriors set the record as the winningest team in NBA history after a 73-9 season. (The record was held previously by the '95-'96 Chicago Bulls, which finished that season at 72-10.)

It will cost fans significantly more to attend this year's series in Oakland than it will in Cleveland. Fans watching in California will shell out more than $1,754 to get a glimpse of the Warriors as they attempt to cap off their historic year. The average home ticket price in Cleveland stands at $1,121.

If you don't mind the bleacher seats, the cheapest seats in Oakland on TiqIQ are selling for for $674.

Compare that to the best seats in house — courtside VIP Row AA — which currently is going for $36,000+.