Splurging on the NBA finals

tao · Post by **tao** » Mon May 28, 2018 8:46 pm

Hello bogleheads,

I'm a basketball fan and just checked out the pricing for tickets to game 3 of the nba finals in Cleveland. I'm not a diehard sports fanatic nor do I live in the Cleveland area -- though I am on the east coast -- but I do think it would be something to witness Lebron in the finals. Tickets go for about $1,000 give or take for a typical seat -- not up in the nosebleed section nor down court side where JayZ would sit. Many, including me, on this board who have six or seven figure net worth with limited or no debt certainly can afford the ticket price but hold ourselves back in boglehead fashion. Do you tend to give in in situations like this if you're on track and go buy a ticket or two and attend or would giving in to these types of splurges represent anti-Bogle thinking? I can just easily watch the game on television or in a local sports bar for less than 1% the cost of seeing it live.

ronno2018 · Post by **ronno2018** » Mon May 28, 2018 8:58 pm

It you like the match up this year definitely go!

The one saving grace is that it is annual thing, so save up for next year if you do not go this time. the world cup is of more infrequent, but I definitely want to see one of those. Travel costs much higher than the NBA.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... s-on-stuff

123 · Post by **123** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:03 pm

tao wrote: ↑
Mon May 28, 2018 8:46 pm
...Many, including me, on this board who have six or seven figure net worth with limited or no debt certainly can afford the ticket price but hold ourselves back in boglehead fashion...

An occasional splurge is okay. Enjoy.

texas lawdog · Post by **texas lawdog** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:12 pm

A long time ago, I had a chance to fly to Chicago with some buddies and watch Jordan play but it was going to be an expensive trip once I paid airfare, hotel, ticket, cab, etc... Long story short, decided it was not worth it and passed on the chance - but still regret not going to this day.. Some experiences are worth paying for and with limited debt, you can easily afford and will have had a worthwhile memory to reflect on later in life.

sambb · Post by **sambb** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:14 pm

Watched Jordan many times
My advice is NBA games are great, fantastic.. IF you are in the first few rows. Otherwise, a prime seat at a local sports bar is good

Watty · Post by **Watty** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:22 pm

Assuming that you can easily afford it I would look at it in terms of the opportunity cost of what your other choices are to do with the $5,000 that you might spend on all the expenses.

It could be that the choice is either spending the $5,000 on going to the game, or spending the $5,000 on a high end gaming computer. (or whatever turns your crank)

If you can afford that much discretionary spending then there is no one right answer.

The potential problem is if you try to do everything.

livesoft · Post by **livesoft** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:30 pm

Decent tickets to regular games were about $300 each, so $1,000 for the finals sounds cheap to me.

When I coached youth basketball, I would get unused tickets as a coach's gift from a season ticket holder parent.

gator15 · Post by **gator15** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:48 pm

I wouldn’t go unless I had good seats. For me that’s club level or lower. I wouldn’t worry about the price if you can afford. I’ve never regretted splurging on tickets. I paid about the price you mentioned for Masters tix a few years ago. Great experience

ThankYouJack · Post by **ThankYouJack** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:55 pm

I agree about good or at least decent seats making a difference. And another big difference will be if the home team wins. Seems like a lot of analysts are expecting the Warriors to sweep. But never underestimate Lebron.

Arthur Digby Sellers · Post by **Arthur Digby Sellers** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:04 pm

Why not? This is your last chance to see LeBron vs. Curry in the Finals until 2019.

Loik098 · Post by **Loik098** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:10 pm

tao wrote: ↑
Mon May 28, 2018 8:46 pm
Many, including me, on this board who have six or seven figure net worth with limited or no debt certainly can afford the ticket price but hold ourselves back in boglehead fashion.

I would argue that "Boglehead fashion" would dictate that as long as you have limited or no debt and a high net worth, you have succeeded and thus can do whatever you want with your money.

That said, I agree with other posters. If your aim is to "see Lebron in person", you should splurge and sit near the court, where you can hear him, too. Otherwise, I think you're wasting your money.

Alexa9 · Post by **Alexa9** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:21 pm

I'd rather splurge on an 86" TV to watch the game on. I still like live music but I don't enjoy going to sports games anymore personally.

golfCaddy · Post by **golfCaddy** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:50 pm

The combination of HD broadcasts and better tvs means you could have a better view of the game at home, unless you spring for the Jay-Z seats. I don't see the value proposition in paying $1k/seat, and maybe airfare and hotel costs on top of that for what you can watch at home? Maybe, if you were an extreme Cavs fan, I could see it, but that doesn't appear to be the case for you.

NoGambleNoFuture · Post by **NoGambleNoFuture** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:52 pm

If it weren't for sporting events I could retire in 5 years instead of in 20

I'm at a point now if any of my teams are in a major championship I will be in attendance no matter the price.

Buy the tickets - but do research before purchasing!

runner3081 · Post by **runner3081** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:00 pm

If watching men play a game for that much money interests you, go for it (so you can tell people you saw Lebron in the finals)! You seem to be doing well financially.

khangaroo · Post by **khangaroo** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:08 pm

You have the ability to personally witness a generational talent that will be talked about for as long as there is the sport of basketball.

Buy the best seats that you can afford and enjoy the experience of a life time. I'm all about watching sports on TV but the atmosphere of a live sporting event is something else. If you set a reasonable budget for all the expenses then I can't fathom why you would pass up this opportunity as a basketball fan.

Full Disclosure: I'm a very big LeBron James fan.

PhilosophyAndrew · Post by **PhilosophyAndrew** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:19 pm

Unless you value hoarding money for your heirs or charities above all else, it is perfectly consistent with Boglejead principles to spend your wealth as long as you can afford your purchases and they do not prevent you from carrying out your accumulation or declumination plan (depending on which stage of your investing life you are living).

If you want to purchase this experience and can afford to do so, what is giving you pause?

Andy.

golfCaddy · Post by **golfCaddy** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:48 pm

The OP may be less wealthy than other posters are assuming. In a recent thread, he was complaining he couldn't afford to travel with his gf. If the OP has a 6-figure net worth, he's a long way from the hoarding money for its own sake point.

MJW · Post by **MJW** » Tue May 29, 2018 12:53 am

If you're even entertaining the notion then go ahead and do it.

And this is coming from someone who dislikes crowds, noise, traffic and prefers to avoid the buffoonery that typically takes place at sporting events. There are few events where I'd be willing to sit out in gen-pop with the loud, smelly, slobbering masses. The NBA finals would likely be one of those times, and if you're a basketball fan you'd probably kick yourself later for not doing it.

Of course, my area team is unlikely to be there in the near future, so it's a non-decision for me.

Jazzman · Post by **Jazzman** » Tue May 29, 2018 1:20 am

By all means, go. I have attended seven NBA Finals and LeBron James played in four of them in Miami. I'm a Miami Heat season ticket holder with a great seat, so the price of the ticket and travel was minimum.

S&L1940 · Post by **S&L1940** » Tue May 29, 2018 1:47 am

Being there is always a great experience; like the 250,000 fans who claimed they were at the Polo Grounds when the Giant's Bobby Thompson hit his home run to sink the Dodgers...
One thing you do miss are the replays. Watching Lebron come down court and put in a lay up with a Boston defender attempting to hold him down by dragging on his shoulders, worth a thousand bucks if you were in the right seats. The replay on the court screens is nothing like sitting in my den watching it over and over six feet away from my big screen TV.
Used to take my kids to see the Knicks back in the 70s when they were an exciting team to watch. Back then there was nothing like being in the Garden even for a regular season game.

Go for it man

bantam222 · Post by **bantam222** » Tue May 29, 2018 2:21 am

Watty wrote: ↑
Mon May 28, 2018 9:22 pm
Assuming that you can easily afford it I would look at it in terms of the opportunity cost of what your other choices are to do with the $5,000 that you might spend on all the expenses.

It could be that the choice is either spending the $5,000 on going to the game, or spending the $5,000 on a high end gaming computer. (or whatever turns your crank)

If you can afford that much discretionary spending then there is no one right answer.

The potential problem is if you try to do everything.

This is my mindset.

Is it a splurge? yes
Can you afford occasional splurges? yes

I'm all for saving but once you hit FI / getting older I think it makes sense to start loosening the budget a little bit and working in some splurging.
Suppose you budget 5-10k a year in splurges -- then it just boils down to will you get the most "bang for your buck" on this splurge, or would you rather blow $1k on something else?

The fact that you took the time to post this makes me feel like this would be worth it for you.

Post by **oldcomputerguy** » Tue May 29, 2018 6:04 am

If you feel it's worth $1k plus travel and expenses, then go for it. I (like, i'm sure, many here) will spend this much or more on a getaway to do something we really want to do. A couple of years ago DW and I spent a few hundred travelling to Georgia at Christmastime to attend a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance. I considered it a vacation expenditure and thought nothing more about it; we had the discretionary funds and racked up no debt, so why not?

Enjoy the game. I'm not a basketball fan by any means, but to each his own.

mhc · Post by **mhc** » Tue May 29, 2018 9:37 am

If it is a bucket list item, then go. You will see some great players.

HomerJ · Post by **HomerJ** » Tue May 29, 2018 10:01 am

MJW wrote: ↑
Tue May 29, 2018 12:53 am
If you're even entertaining the notion then go ahead and do it.

Heh, that's the new rule for deciding if one should spend money?

MJW · Post by **MJW** » Tue May 29, 2018 10:19 am

HomerJ wrote: ↑
Tue May 29, 2018 10:01 am

MJW wrote: ↑
Tue May 29, 2018 12:53 am
If you're even entertaining the notion then go ahead and do it.
Heh, that's the new rule for deciding if one should spend money?

In the case of the OP and that specific situation, yes.

But really, I'm sure there's many of us that tend to beat ourselves up over spending a little more than we'd like to splurge on something once in a while. In some cases it's better to not overthink it.

rob65 · Post by **rob65** » Tue May 29, 2018 10:24 am

My son and I have had a friendly debate over the GOAT. I argued Jordan. He argued LeBron. After the game Sunday, I conceded that he was right. Personally I hate crowds, but if you like attending sports in person, then watching arguably the greatest player of all time in possibly one of his last games with Cleveland would be a great experience.

RollTide31457 · Post by **RollTide31457** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:06 am

The Final Four is a better value and more enjoyable environment. We intentionally do not attend (season ticket holders) when the cavs are in town.

ThankYouJack · Post by **ThankYouJack** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:30 am

rob65 wrote: ↑
Tue May 29, 2018 10:24 am
My son and I have had a friendly debate over the GOAT. I argued Jordan. He argued LeBron. After the game Sunday, I conceded that he was right. Personally I hate crowds, but if you like attending sports in person, then watching arguably the greatest player of all time in possibly one of his last games with Cleveland would be a great experience.

I conceded after game 7 vs the Warriors a couple years ago. When he was with Miami, the Cavs had the worst combined record in the NBA...then he comes back, immediately takes them to the Finals and the next year comes back from 3-1 to win the championship against the team with the most wins in NBA history.

I don't think the debate should be GOAT, but now think he's the most dominate player that I've ever seen. Thinking about it that way, makes me think the OP should make the trip. It would just stink spending a bunch of money and having Golden State dominate / control the game from the start.

DanMahowny · Post by **DanMahowny** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:35 am

Now that we have giant Ultra HD televisions, I have no interest seeing a game live.

But if that's your thing, go and enjoy yourself.

Toons · Post by **Toons** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:38 am

If you can afford the seat ,,,,do it.
If you don't someone else will fill it.

Broken Man 1999 · Post by **Broken Man 1999** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:42 am

I prefer the college and not the pro game, but if I were a fan of the NBA, and had a chance to see LeBron, I would spend the $$$$.

You have financial ability to attend, so go!

There is much more to life than storing up money.

Broken Man 1999

TheRightKost87 · Post by **TheRightKost87** » Tue May 29, 2018 11:48 am

Go and enjoy! Just make sure you factor in everything. Two tickets, airfare, lodging, and spending money may end up running you close to $5K all in. Just try to not to think about how that $5K might be able to get you a house in Cleveland

book lover · Post by **book lover** » Tue May 29, 2018 3:59 pm

Buying such an experience would bring happiness and give you a memory that you can relive with others for many years in the future. Sadly it may be the last series Bron ever plays in a Cav's uniform.

e5116 · Post by **e5116** » Tue May 29, 2018 8:19 pm

ronno2018 wrote: ↑
Mon May 28, 2018 8:58 pm
It you like the match up this year definitely go!

This is a funny comment because it's the fourth year in a row of the exact same matchup! Not disagreeing with you at all though, but just had to point out the humor of the comment.

NoHeat · Post by **NoHeat** » Tue May 29, 2018 8:48 pm

I’ve seen LeBron in four cities, all away games, in regular season. The closest I sat was row 9, and that was truly thrilling, for about $300. Sitting that close makes a difference. As a bonus, during warmups, he showboats with dunks, drawing cheers even from the fans of other teams.

I agree with the comment on experiences that generate memories. In general, that’s a great way to spend money, for the happiness it brings. If a special NBA game would be a great experience that would provide great memories, that’s splendid.

EyeYield · Post by **EyeYield** » Tue May 29, 2018 9:48 pm

I have some experience traveling to out of state games and I would just add one piece of advice that hasn’t been mentioned yet.
Book your flight a day early! Don’t leave the trip timing to forces beyond your control.

When I lived in Boston a childhood friend of mine, who lived in Miami, was a big Larry Bird fan and would come up every year to see a game or two. One year his flight was delayed for eight hours and he only got to see the last two minutes of the game. He was beside himself with grief.

He did get to talk to Bird one on one after the game and I took a picture of him alone in an alley on the side of the Garden with Bird which he blew up and hung on his wall, so the trip was salvageable as a good long term memory, but that was luck.

MrDrinkingWater · Post by **MrDrinkingWater** » Wed May 30, 2018 12:48 am

Games 1 and 2, and perhaps 5 and 7 will be in Oakland, so for completeness, see if coming out to California for a few days could work for you. It might be harder to get a ticket to any game at Oracle Arena, but perhaps you can score cheap airfare to Oakland, or San Jose, or San Francisco. Some folks like visiting San Francisco. There is a lot to see and do. If you haven't been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, do go to Cleveland and see the sights there and see the game there. I don't think you have a bad choice on picking a splurge to do.

jehovasfitness · Post by **jehovasfitness** » Wed May 30, 2018 6:40 am

Arthur Digby Sellers wrote: ↑
Mon May 28, 2018 10:04 pm
Why not? This is your last chance to see LeBron vs. Curry in the Finals until 2019.

Hahaha

JuniorBH · Post by **JuniorBH** » Wed May 30, 2018 9:48 am

I would go for it, especially if you can afford it.

FWIW, I've paid a premium over the years for live music (we always get "pit" tickets to rock shows) and it's been 100% worth it.

J295 · Post by **J295** » Wed May 30, 2018 9:51 am

Absolutely go to the game.
I'm only a modest fan, but think this is a great game choice. I really love watching both these teams and coaches.

My "splurges" are on golf ...

beyou · Post by **beyou** » Wed May 30, 2018 12:30 pm

If this is your desired vacation...why not.
People spend money on all kids of extravagant vacations, why not a sports themed vacation ?
You can't compare watching on tv to a vacation.

Hockey10 · Post by **Hockey10** » Wed May 30, 2018 2:29 pm

Go for it.

As I get older, I realize that an occasional splurge on a special experience is more important than having a few extra $ in my investment accounts. One item on my bucket list is to attend a Philadelphia Flyers game in June (which would be very expensive

). I am ready, willing, and able. Now if only the Flyers would cooperate one of these years......

WhyNotUs · Post by **WhyNotUs** » Wed May 30, 2018 3:06 pm

I have done both and won both times. In 1985, I was in LA on business and the Celtics and Lakers were having Game 4 of the finals and I splurged on a ticket. Dennis Johnson hit a basket as the game ended to win what many think was one of the great NBA playoff games. Lakers ended up winning the series so the game is not as well known as it might have been. It was really fun and I spent what for me was a lot of money for the tix.

Years later, my alma mater was playing for the NCCA Football title a days drive away. I had a family then and wanted to take my daughters and the price got uncomfortable. As I was ready to place a bid on tickets I realized the move would lead to suffering rather than joy and I bought a tv instead. The cost of a tv was a fraction of one ticket. Went from no tv to a big fancy one. My team lost.... by a lot. Still have the tv.

tao · Post by **tao** » Wed May 30, 2018 8:40 pm

Thanks all for the replies. In this case I do think it's worth it and appreciate the thoughtful posts.

AlwaysWannaLearn · Post by **AlwaysWannaLearn** » Wed May 30, 2018 10:23 pm

.....

somekevinguy · Post by **somekevinguy** » Thu May 31, 2018 2:57 am

Just inspired me to splurge on game 1 tickets!

RustyShackleford · Post by **RustyShackleford** » Thu May 31, 2018 12:31 pm

Not to rain on your parade, or be partisan, but I don't think the series is going to be very competitive. Probably 5 games, maybe a sweep. Plus, I find I can see a game WAY better on TV (with the commentary, closeups, replays).

RustyShackleford · Post by **RustyShackleford** » Thu May 31, 2018 12:39 pm

rob65 wrote: ↑
Tue May 29, 2018 10:24 am
My son and I have had a friendly debate over the GOAT. I argued Jordan. He argued LeBron. After the game Sunday, I conceded that he was right.

Oh no, the Michael versus Lebron debate reaches the Bogleheads !!! I still stick with Jordan. A perfect Finals record. The highest scoring playoff performance of all time (the season he was injured a good part of the season, and the Bulls sucked, and they were playing the mighty Celtics AT the Garden), as well as several other of the top-scoring playoffs performances. NEVER disappearing in a critical game, as Lebron has done a few times. Don't get me wrong: I admire Lebron extremely, absolutely the best player since (and probably before) Jordan, a better body than Jordan, and much better when it comes to social consciousness (for lack of a better word), while Jordan just says [OT comment removed by admin LadyGeek].

On the other side, it has to be said, Lebron has never had a teammate of the caliber of Scottie Pippen, not even Kyrie Irving IMHO, and he certainly hasn't had this year.

If the Cavs win the FInals, I will recant.

jhwkr542 · Post by **jhwkr542** » Thu May 31, 2018 12:40 pm

RustyShackleford wrote: ↑
Thu May 31, 2018 12:31 pm
Not to rain on your parade, or be partisan, but I don't think the series is going to be very competitive. Probably 5 games, maybe a sweep. Plus, I find I can see a game WAY better on TV (with the commentary, closeups, replays).

Probably all the more reason to go to game 1! Spend money on experiences. They're worth it. If you follow Jonathan Clements, that's generally his take as well.