by Flack » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:54 pm
So, what's it like to attend a real NBA game in person? I'm so glad you asked! With the season set to start on Christmas Day, maybe you'll get some tickets in your stocking! Here's what you can expect.
Here in Oklahoma City, tip-off for weeknight games takes place at 7pm. I live 12 miles away from the stadium; that means I have to leave my house at 6pm. Normally I could get downtown in about 15 minutes, but with game day traffic, it takes about 30 minutes. If parking is available across the street, you're lucky, but sometimes it's closed (when hockey's playing as well) and you have to park elsewhere. Parking costs between $5-$10, depending on how close you get. Twice (out of around 40 games), I've found a spot at a meter. Meters are free after 5pm, but traffic's so bad that it's not worth looking for them.
If you park by 6:30pm you should be inside no later than 6:45pm. That'll give you time to find your seat and pick up something to eat and drink. Non-alcoholic drinks are around $3, pretzels are $4, cotton candy is $5, nachos are $5, a slice of pizza is $8. Typically before we go we stop by the dollar store and I let Mason buy whatever he wants. It's much cheaper.
Tip-off's not really at 7pm, by the way. That's when the players come out, when they sing the national anthem, and so on. The game doesn't start for another 10-15 minutes, but you want to be in your seat before all of that because when the lights are dim it's a pain in the ass to traverse the stairs.
Since it's Oklahoma City, unless you're playing Dallas or the Lakers, chances are everybody around you will be Thunder fans. Dallas is close enough that their asshole fans come up and act like jerks. Every time we play the Lakers there will be teenagers running around in Kobe jerseys. What can you do.
Eventually the game starts and there will be at least 50 time outs and other breaks in the game. During each one, there's some sort of entertainment. 30 second time out? Here come the juggling clowns! 60 second time out? Expect a trampoline with guys doing flying slam dunks. At some point they'll do the parachute drop, where they drop a hundred free t-shirts attached to little parachutes from the rafters. They'll also shoot t-shirts out from an air cannon gun, do a dance-off, and all sorts of crazy things. To be honest, sometimes I think my kids like the antics more than they like the game.
Half time is the same length as a period (12 mins), at which point some major entertainment will come out -- maybe a team of gymnasts, maybe a magician, maybe a guy with dancing bears. Nobody really cares because now it's time to drain those expensive beers from your body. Good thing too, because 20,000 other people will be doing the same thing at the same time. If you're a guy that means you will have to wait an additional 60-90 seconds. If you're a woman, you can forget seeing the third quarter.
During the fourth quarter, it's time to evaluate the game. If it's close you'll be staying for the whole game, which will add another half an hour trying to get out of the parking garage. If it's a blowout then it might be time to skip out early and listen to the end of the game on the radio on the drive home.
Tickets in OKC can be picked up for as low as $10/ticket, so it's a pretty inexpensive event and a pretty fun time.
So, what's it like to attend a real NBA game in person? I'm so glad you asked! With the season set to start on Christmas Day, maybe you'll get some tickets in your stocking! Here's what you can expect.
Here in Oklahoma City, tip-off for weeknight games takes place at 7pm. I live 12 miles away from the stadium; that means I have to leave my house at 6pm. Normally I could get downtown in about 15 minutes, but with game day traffic, it takes about 30 minutes. If parking is available across the street, you're lucky, but sometimes it's closed (when hockey's playing as well) and you have to park elsewhere. Parking costs between $5-$10, depending on how close you get. Twice (out of around 40 games), I've found a spot at a meter. Meters are free after 5pm, but traffic's so bad that it's not worth looking for them.
If you park by 6:30pm you should be inside no later than 6:45pm. That'll give you time to find your seat and pick up something to eat and drink. Non-alcoholic drinks are around $3, pretzels are $4, cotton candy is $5, nachos are $5, a slice of pizza is $8. Typically before we go we stop by the dollar store and I let Mason buy whatever he wants. It's much cheaper.
Tip-off's not really at 7pm, by the way. That's when the players come out, when they sing the national anthem, and so on. The game doesn't start for another 10-15 minutes, but you want to be in your seat before all of that because when the lights are dim it's a pain in the ass to traverse the stairs.
Since it's Oklahoma City, unless you're playing Dallas or the Lakers, chances are everybody around you will be Thunder fans. Dallas is close enough that their asshole fans come up and act like jerks. Every time we play the Lakers there will be teenagers running around in Kobe jerseys. What can you do.
Eventually the game starts and there will be at least 50 time outs and other breaks in the game. During each one, there's some sort of entertainment. 30 second time out? Here come the juggling clowns! 60 second time out? Expect a trampoline with guys doing flying slam dunks. At some point they'll do the parachute drop, where they drop a hundred free t-shirts attached to little parachutes from the rafters. They'll also shoot t-shirts out from an air cannon gun, do a dance-off, and all sorts of crazy things. To be honest, sometimes I think my kids like the antics more than they like the game.
Half time is the same length as a period (12 mins), at which point some major entertainment will come out -- maybe a team of gymnasts, maybe a magician, maybe a guy with dancing bears. Nobody really cares because now it's time to drain those expensive beers from your body. Good thing too, because 20,000 other people will be doing the same thing at the same time. If you're a guy that means you will have to wait an additional 60-90 seconds. If you're a woman, you can forget seeing the third quarter.
During the fourth quarter, it's time to evaluate the game. If it's close you'll be staying for the whole game, which will add another half an hour trying to get out of the parking garage. If it's a blowout then it might be time to skip out early and listen to the end of the game on the radio on the drive home.
Tickets in OKC can be picked up for as low as $10/ticket, so it's a pretty inexpensive event and a pretty fun time.