Alright, so the other day, I got this wild idea: How cool would it be to shoot some hoops on a real NBA court? I mean, who hasn’t dreamed of that? So, I started digging around to see if it was even possible, and more importantly, how much it would cost.
My first move was hitting up Google. I typed in stuff like “rent NBA court” and “NBA court rental cost,” hoping to find some quick answers. I found a bunch of forum discussions and some old articles, but nothing really concrete. It seemed like the price could vary a lot depending on the arena, the time of year, and what you wanted to do on the court.
Then, I thought, “Why not go straight to the source?” I started looking up the websites of NBA arenas near me. Most of them had pages for event rentals, but they were mostly geared towards concerts and big events. Not a lot of info about renting the court for a few hours of basketball.
So, I decided to get on the phone. I called up a couple of arenas, pretending I was planning a corporate event or a really fancy birthday party. I asked about availability and pricing for renting the court. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy getting through to the right person. I got transferred around a lot!
Finally, I got some ballpark figures. It turns out, renting an NBA court is, unsurprisingly, pretty darn expensive. We’re talking thousands of dollars per hour, at least. And that’s just for the court itself. If you want things like referees, a scoreboard operator, or access to the locker rooms, that’s going to cost extra.
Here’s the general breakdown of what I found out:
- Base Rental Fee: This is the main cost, and it can range from around $5,000 to $15,000 or more per hour, depending on the arena and the day of the week. Weekends and primetime slots are obviously more expensive.
- Additional Staff: If you need referees, scorekeepers, or other personnel, you’ll have to pay for them. Their hourly rates can add up quickly.
- Insurance: You’ll probably need to get event insurance to cover any potential damages or injuries.
- Extras: Want to use the jumbotron? Get access to the locker rooms? Have the court professionally cleaned afterward? All of that will be extra.
My Final takeaway
Renting an NBA court is definitely a “bucket list” kind of expense. It’s not something most of us can just do on a whim. But, if you’ve got a special occasion and a serious budget, it’s definitely possible. Just be prepared to make a lot of phone calls and fill out a lot of paperwork! Honestly, it’s probably more realistic to rent out a really nice college or high school court. You’ll still get that awesome basketball experience, but without breaking the bank.
