Warriors' longest season-ticket holder gets offer he can't refuse

ByDarren Rovell ESPN logo
Thursday, June 4, 2015

Gary Liss has been a Golden State Warriors season-ticket holder longer than anyone else, yet the opportunity to make some money means he will be sitting at home watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Liss, 72, who bought season tickets in the first row when the Warriors moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 1962, sold the two seats he owns behind the Warriors' bench for Thursday night's game for a $6,400 profit. The tickets, which cost him $800 each, sold for $4,000 apiece, he said.

"I've seen a million games, and money is money," said Liss, who paid $10 per ticket for his front-row seats to watch the Warriors last win the title in 1975. "It's just one game. Selling these seats allows me to pay for all the other games."

With the average ticket reselling for more than $1,000 each, this is the most expensive Game 1 ticket in Finals history.

Liss had courtside tickets until two years ago, when the prices got too high. Since then, he has bought four season tickets behind the bench, two of which he sells to a friend.

Liss has trained for this moment. He got sick this season and had to miss two months of games.

"I found out that watching from home in HD isn't really that bad," said Liss, who retired 15 years ago from a family furniture manufacturing business. "Plus, I told my kids I was doing this and they approved of it."