LeBron and the Sixers set an NBA record as Knicks matchup at MSG becomes the most expensive home opener ever

We are just a couple of days away from the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, and opening day on October 20th promises unprecedented excitement across the league.

Action tips off earlier than usual ahead of the traditional evening slate, starting at 3:00 PM EST with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics visiting last season's Eastern Conference top seed, the Detroit Pistons.

Later in the evening, the defending champion New York Knicks will raise their long-awaited championship banner and receive their hardware inside Madison Square Garden against a newly star-studded Philadelphia 76ers roster powered by LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

The opening-night festivities will then wrap up in the West with a thrilling Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

Knicks Season Opener Shatters NBA Home Opener Records

When the official regular-season schedule dropped a few months ago, revealing that the reigning champion Knicks would open against LeBron James and his new-look 76ers, secondary ticket marketplace prices exploded, with peak listings climbing up toward $2,500.

Now, with just days remaining before all 30 franchises host their respective home openers, ticket distribution platform TickPick highlights a staggering financial disparity between the league's marquee markets and the rest of the NBA.

The opening night clash at Madison Square Garden remains by far the most expensive ticket in the league at a $1,112 get-in price, establishing the highest opening-night price tag in NBA history, a milestone that arguably only major media hubs like New York or California could generate.

By comparison, the second-most expensive home opener on the docket is the TD Garden matchup between the Celtics and Knicks on Friday, October 23, sitting at $160, a cost over seven times cheaper than the banner-raising event in Manhattan.

The top three is rounded out by Philadelphia's home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at $145, placing Atlantic Division franchises in full control of the podium and demonstrating how the Eastern Conference now holds the hottest tickets in the sport, led by the clear conference frontrunners.

Western Conference Standouts and the League's Most Affordable Home Openers

Behind the Eastern Conference trio, two Western Conference powerhouses claim the remaining spots in the top five: the San Antonio Spurs ($124) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($110), rounding out the only franchises across the league featuring home-opener entry prices exceeding the $100 mark.

In stark contrast to these premium pricing tiers, watching live opening-night action in several other markets remains remarkably budget-friendly. 

Ticket prices to attend home openers for the Los Angeles Clippers ($19), Utah Jazz ($19), New Orleans Pelicans ($12), Charlotte Hornets ($8), and Memphis Grizzlies ($7) represent the only entries under $20, offering the most affordable access points in professional basketball.

With the preseason concluding and opening night finally here, high-stakes NBA basketball is officially back.