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.
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"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.
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.
This will be James' seventh trip to the NBA Finals, though he's never won a title playing for Cleveland.
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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+.
This article originally appeared on CNBC. Read more from CNBC:
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