How to Buy NBA tickets in Denver

Denver Nuggets is the only Colorado team in the NBA and one of the most traditional franchises in the western region of the United States. Champions of the league in 2023, they are frequent cheerleaders in the playoffs and play their games at the Ball Center Stadium, so during your visit to the city you can attend a basketball game to live one of the most exciting experiences of this destination.

If you plan to visit the capital of Colorado between October and April you can attend the NBA regular season games, while between May and June you can watch the playoff games, which define the annual champion. Whatever time of the year you have scheduled your tour, watching the Nuggets live is one of the best things you can do in Denver.

NBA games are a tourist spectacle in themselves in the United States, so getting tickets to attend can be complicated, especially if you buy them at the last minute. However, there are many alternatives you have to get tickets, although some of them will require you to book in advance to secure your place in the experience and also to get better prices.

Buy tickets online

Most of the tickets that are not included in the season tickets are marketed by the tourist service providers on their online sales platforms, so this option is one of the most popular and also one of the safest. Likewise, it is also usually one of the cheapest available, especially because you will be able to buy the tickets in advance.

On the other hand, some tour providers include tickets to Nuggets games in packages along with other activities, so if you plan to participate in some of the best Denver tours you can combine both experiences and get better rates.

Buy tickets on the official Nuggets website

Another safe and official alternative is to buy tickets on the Nuggets official website, although you should keep in mind that there you will only find the remaining seats that were not assigned to season tickets, which is the general criterion used by NBA franchises. This is why, in the event that you find tickets, you will generally be able to get the most expensive seats that were not sold out.

Buying tickets from authorized resellers

This is a slightly riskier and usually more expensive alternative, but it is very useful for last minute bookings. Many times the venues are sold out but there are people who want to resell their tickets, so they put them on sale on authorized reseller sites that you can access to get tickets. Just check the reputation of the site to make sure it is not a scam.

Buying tickets at the stadium box office

While this option is still available, tickets are rarely available at the Ball Center Stadium box office just prior to kickoff. However, a last resort option is to try to get tickets at the stadium on the day of the event, which may work for less attractive games but hardly when competitive opponents are playing or during the playoffs.

Ticket prices change, largely because they depend on many circumstances such as the opponent, the NBA phase being played, the time of purchase or the performance of the franchise during the year. Likewise, the price of the tickets will also be influenced by the day and time of the game and the location in the stadium, since the sectors closest to the parquet are the most expensive.

However, as a general rule, you can find tickets from 100 euros in the peripheral sectors of the stadium and other tickets well over 900 euros in locations close to the playing field, which offer a better view. If you want to save on fares, a good alternative is to buy the seats in advance, since at the beginning of the season prices are usually lower.

On the other hand, if you plan to visit Denver with children or family, you can find some group packages that will allow you to save on the purchase of several tickets.

The types of tickets depend largely on the different locations within the arena. The Nuggets play their games at the Ball Center, which is one of the largest venues in Colorado with a capacity of approximately 20,000 people for basketball games, so it has several differentiated sectors, although except for the VIP boxes, none of them offer tickets without queues.

If what you want is to live a more exclusive experience, you can opt for the VIP box seats, which offer a differentiated entrance without queues and will allow you to make the most of your stay in the city, because you can spend less time leaving the stadium and enjoy the best nightlife activities in Denver at the end of the game. These tickets are well over 1,000 euros per seat.

While Ball Center Stadium is one of Denver's most prominent sites, unlike other venues it does not house a museum nor does it offer guided tours. However, you will be able to see inside the stadium during an NBA Nuggets game, but also if you plan to book an ice hockey game for the Colorado Avalanche, which is one of the NHL's most popular franchises.

On the other hand, the Ball Center also hosts music concerts that have featured artists such as AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne and other sporting events, including the NBA All-Star Game and the NHL All-Star Game. In any case, at all these events you will be able to get to know the stadium and its interior.

Within the Nuggets NBA game schedule, there are no discounted tickets. However, the rates of the events in the United States always fluctuate and depend on the context, so there are some strategies you can apply to get better rates when buying tickets. Here are a few.

Buy tickets for lower demand games

During the regular NBA schedule each franchise plays 82 games, but not all are equally important, so a good alternative to get cheap tickets is to attend a game of lower demand. These include games that pit the Nuggets against lesser opponents or games that take place at the beginning of the season.

Buy tickets for midweek games

The NBA schedule is very demanding, so it includes games not only on Saturdays and Sundays, but also on weekdays. As a general rule, games played on weekdays have lower attendance and you will be able to get tickets more easily and at a better price, especially if it is not a defining game either .

Also, if you plan to visit Denver during the winter, which is a time of snowfall and cold weather in the city that in many cases presents sub-zero temperatures, you can also get cheap tickets, since weather conditions usually have an impact on attendance.

Buy tickets in upper or side seats

If what you want is to discover the atmosphere of an NBA game and you are not particularly interested in the view of the playing field, an ideal alternative to get tickets at a good price is to opt for the upper or side seats. This will allow you to buy tickets at an economical price and experience the atmosphere generated by the crowd during the game.

The NBA does not establish a special treatment for children and leaves the decision to the free will of each franchise. In the case of the Nuggets, children under 2 years of age accompanied by a responsible adult may enter for free, although they must sit on the adult's lap and may not occupy a seat. This is the rule in most NBA arenas.

On the other hand, if you plan to visit Denver during the summer, which coincides with the final stages of the NBA and also with the school vacations, you can find activities focused on the little ones during the breaks .

As a general rule, in the NBA it is very difficult to get tickets at the arena box office on game days, so buying tickets in advance online can make the difference between attending a basketball game in Denver or not.

Also, keep in mind that buying tickets in advance can save you time, because you won't have to wait in long lines at the box office or wait for a last-minute seat to become available at authorized resale sites. Buying tickets in advance will also allow you to organize an itinerary and combine this experience with some of Denver's best tours.

On the other hand, if you book in advance through a tour service provider, in many cases you can also access discounts on the most outstanding tours from Denver or other popular activities in or around the city, such as a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The NBA applies different rules than FIBA, so the games have a total duration of 48 minutes, which are divided into four quarters of 12 minutes each . However, you should consider that the playing time is usually longer, because you must add the minutes of rest between each of the halves, commercial breaks, timeouts that stop the clock and halftime shows.

On the other hand, in basketball there is no tie as a possible result, so in case of a tie at the end of regular time, the games are resolved in successive overtimes of five minutes each until there is a winner. This is why, on average, an NBA game can last between 2.5 and 3 hours.

The NBA calendar stipulates a regular season that runs between the months of October and April. During this time, each franchise plays 82 games in search of qualification to the finals, which is played between May and June and defines both the conference champions and the league champions.

That is why, if you plan to visit Denver in October, you can attend the opening games of the regular season, although if you want to see a game of the most competitive teams the best time is between the months of May and June.

Ball Center Stadium can be reached from anywhere in the city on the 15, 15L, 20, 40 and 43 bus lines and on the E and W light rail lines. In addition, the location of the stadium is close to other major Denver attractions, such as the Downtown Aquarium and the Marsico Campus Children's Museum, so you can easily combine a tour of the area with attending an NBA game.

On the other hand, if you plan to reach the stadium by car, you can do so from downtown Denver in a 15-minute drive along E23rd Avenue. If you opt for this means of transportation, you should keep in mind that there are few parking areas around the stadium.

NBA games offer much more than just a sporting competition and provide a complete experience, including halftime shows and the warmth of the fans in the stands. That's why to enjoy this show I advise you to follow some recommendations.

Don't delay your arrival at the stadium

NBA games are usually crowded, which generates congestion around the stadium and some delays at the entrance to the stadiums. That's why if you plan to buy tickets to see the Nuggets in the NBA I advise you to avoid arriving on game day just in time to avoid missing the preliminary shows.

Taste the food from the carts

Tasting the food at the stadium during an NBA game is an experience in itself. From burgers and nachos to vegetarian options, you'll find something for everyone and can enjoy the game while exploring the local cuisine. Just try to do your shopping at halftime so you don't miss any of the details of the game.

Go for NBA fever!

If you get tickets to attend an NBA game you should consider yourself lucky and one of the best ways to celebrate is to participate in fan traditions. Paint your face in the team colors, get the jersey, sing at the halftime shows and celebrate every basket as if it were your last. This will allow you to experience the basketball fever in North America and be part of the NBA show.