What happens if the Golden State Warriors sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals? For one, a sweep would go a long way in avenging 2016’s choke (though it wouldn’t ever make up for it). It would also mark the first time in NBA history that a team swept through the playoffs, giving the Warriors a claim to history that nobody else has.
Though, it would carry an additional consequence. Namely, it would cost the team roughly $22 million.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell broke down the revenue that Golden State would pull in if it were to host both a Game 5 and a Game 7, as was the case in 2016. He came up with “$11,087,500 for Game 5 and $11,345,000 for Game 7.”
While some of the the figures that led to those numbers are just estimations, they factor everything (parking, merchandise, food, etc.). The numbers are also hard to dispute. If anything, the estimations might be conservative.
What’s not considered is the money that’s already been lost.
The Warriors have already had three opportunities to host both a Game 5 and a Game 7 go by the wayside. The prices obviously go up by the round, so we’re not talking about $22 million per series. Still, the money lost when the Warriors swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and San Antonio Spurs is nothing to sneeze at.
If the Cavaliers can turn the 2017 Finals into a longer series, it will no doubt bring up bad memories for Golden State. But even if we get a repeat of 2016, the Warriors will land softly onto a huge pile of cash.