FILE – Fans cheer during the second half of the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers at Spectrum Center on January 02, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP
As the NBA prepares for the start of the playoffs, the league is celebrating a season that set all-time records for total attendance and sellouts.
The league’s total attendance mark of 22,234,502 broke the previous record of 22,124,559 set during the 2017-18 season.
The previous record of 760 sellouts (2018-2019) was shattered this season with 791 sellouts recorded. Arenas were filled this season to an all-time-high 97 percent capacity.
This season also marked the first time that teams averaged more than 18,000 fans in attendance per game, according to the NBA. This year’s average of 18,077 fans topped the previous record of 17,987 set in 2017-18.
The NBA postseason starts Tuesday with the Play-In Tournament which runs through Friday. The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday.