Rose Garden Advice Needed

- Purple and yellow sections at the Rose Garden offer the best value. Purple you can expect to pay $25-30 per ticket for and yellow $50-60. Hard to go wrong with either section honestly. Just depends on what you’re willing to pay. But I’d avoid red & tan unless that’s all you can afford.

- Autographs generally aren’t possible unless you show up an hour early for the ticket gate opening and head right down to the floor. Sometimes you’ll catch a player or two warming up on the court. I’ve never asked for an autograph myself but I’m sure if it was a kid the player would be more than happy to stop. Our team is great like that. But “generally” players aren’t out there before and after games giving out autographs. Just doesn’t work like that anymore.

In the players’ parking garage AFTER the game. But you’ll have to leave the game a little early, because there’s limited space there, and they close the gates after the space fills up. It’s like a small area gated off, with rails too.

You might wait anywhere from 30 minutes – 1 hour here though, waiting for players to walk out to their cars. I can’t remember how to get there (around the left side of the RG somewhere), but it’s the same place where the opposing team parks their bus. If you get lucky you can get an autograph from Philly players as well. Shane Battier was once nice enough to sign for me (after they lost!).

$49 face value tickets, you get to see both hoops from the front. I recommend 319, ($49 each) then 217 ($150 each, includes food, then 113 ($150 each, but no food, but closer to the basket). I like these sections because they directly face the blazers bench.

As far as the game experience, make sure you are there exactly 1 hour prior to tip-off when the gates open, so you can take you kid to the airbrush face-painting booth. The airbrush artists are great, but if you don’t get there early, you will never get a chance to get it done.

Just glancing at stubhub right now, there are some tickets for sale to that game in section 113 for $102 each, which isn’t a terrible price if it is in your budget.

One other thing, if you want to get up on the big-screen during the game, your best bet is to bring a clever sign. If your kid is holding up a clever sign, he is quite likely to get some screen time.

the feeling the noise, and seeing everyone rise and cheer at the same time….

n remember your kid is a kid so heights are always cool…

(but this is comming from someone who’s rarely seen a 7 foot person up close let alone a basketball player)

we went early to get in the main entry right at 6:00pm, and they had their faces painted at the station right behind the stairs that go up to the club level at the southwest corner of the RG. right after, a blazers employee came by and asked if my girls wanted to be courtside kids. the key is to be in the area right between the club level stairs and the bank of elevators about 45 minutes before game time (right place, right time). There were about 15 kids and they line them up to the right of the stairs before leading them down the back stairs to the court. they let the parents go down into the aisle of section 121 so you can see your kids come out the tunnel and onto the court. they line up and get high fives from all of the players when warmups start, then they get to sit in the players chairs on the sideline for a few minutes. my kids loved it! took some pics with the cell phone, but wish I had brought a real camera! much more memorable than an autograph or sweaty wristband!

and pay the $13 (or whatever they’re charging these days) to park in the garage attached to the RG. It’s worth it in the cold weather. 100 level seats are awesome, but spendy. I’ve only sat in 100 level seats when I got free tix.