The 10 Greatest Seats in Sports: From Lakers Courtside to the Yard of Bricks

There are great seats in sports – and then there are great seats. And full credit to those of you who already know the difference.

Truly great seats aren’t just close to the action – they're close to everything. They're the ones with stories attached; the ones where legacies were made, celebrities became part of the show, or tradition took on a life of its own.

These seats are as iconic as the teams that play in front of them. Some are steeped in history. Others are pure spectacle. All of them offer more than just a good view – they offer a claim to something bigger.

We set out to find the 10 greatest seats in sports. Not the priciest. Not the most photogenic. The ones that fans talk about in hushed tones. The ones that, if offered to you for a single game – any game – you’d drop everything and go.

Here are the 10 mightiest thrones in the sports kingdom, ranked:

🪑 The 10 Greatest Seats in Sports

1. Courtside Seat A2 – Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles (Jack Nicholson’s seat)

Why it’s legendary: More than a seat – it’s an institution. Jack Nicholson’s courtside perch has been a fixture since the '70s, so embedded in Lakers lore that it might as well have its own retired number. Courtside Seat A2 is on the floor, across from the team bench and just beside the scorer’s table – where Jack used to heckle referees, jaw with opposing players, and give Lakers greats the occasional nod of approval.

This is the ultimate status symbol seat in American sports. Everyone from Prince to Rihanna has passed through its orbit. Jack’s reactions were often broadcast mid-play, and if he missed a game, it was news. Courtside Seat A2 isn’t just a seat – it’s a living, breathing part of the Lakers dynasty.

• 📍 Exact spot: Courtside, across from Lakers bench, second from the scorer’s table
• 🏀 Notable neighbors: Denzel, Snoop, the ghost of Chick Hearn

2. Monster Seat 1, Fenway Park, Boston

Why it’s legendary: Perched atop the Green Monster in left field, this seat offers arguably the most unique vantage point in Major League Baseball. Monster Seat 1 is the front-row corner seat of Section M1 – meaning you’re practically dangling over the outfield with nothing but a couple rails separating you from moonshot home runs.

Introduced in 2003, these seats brought fans closer to the game’s most famous wall than ever before – and Seat 1, with its razor-sharp view of the action and the skyline beyond, is as coveted as any in the sport. You don’t just watch the game here – you hover over it. Every ball hit your way is a heart-stopper.

• 📍 Exact spot: Section M1, Row 1, Seat 1
• 🧢 Legacy bonus: View of Pesky Pole + city skyline + baseball immortality = a truly legendary sports experience

3. Row 1, Section 116, Lambeau Field – The “Leap Zone”, Green Bay

Why it’s legendary: This is where legends literally jump into your arms. Located along the end zone front row at Lambeau Field, Section 116 is known as the epicenter of the Lambeau Leap — one of football’s most iconic touchdown rituals. Row 1, Seat 10 puts you right in the splash zone.

You’re not a spectator here; you’re part of the celebration. Generations of Packers players have made eye contact with fans in these seats before launching into their arms after scoring. For many Wisconsinites, getting leapt into just once is enough to justify season tickets for life.

• 📍 Ideal seat: Section 116, Row 1, Seat 10 (prime Leap location near tunnel)
• 🧤 Extras: Snow, frozen brats, and spiritual warmth unmatched anywhere

4. Seat 1, Row A, Box B – Royal Box, Centre Court, Wimbledon

Why it’s legendary: Welcome to tennis royalty — literally. This front-row seat in Wimbledon’s Royal Box is the most exclusive ticket in the sport, traditionally reserved for royalty, celebrities, or all-time greats. The view is unmatched, but it’s the company that elevates the experience into the stratosphere.

From Princess Diana to David Beckham to Billie Jean King, this seat has hosted an unreal list of dignitaries and icons. It’s steeped in formality — jacket and tie are required — but from here, you get the rare combination of global elegance and ruthless competition in tennis’ most sacred setting.

• 📍 Exact seat: Front row of Royal Box, centre-right alignment
• 🎾 Detail bonus: Custom cushions, strict dress code, global audience judging your claps

5. Row A, Section 17, Seat 8 – Cameron Indoor Stadium (Cameron Crazies)

Why it’s legendary: Cameron Indoor is chaos distilled, and Seat 8 in the front row of Section 17 puts you at ground zero. This is midcourt, front and center of the student section — the loudest, most choreographed, and most feared home-court advantage in college basketball.

You’re screaming in the opponent’s face, inches from the court, probably wearing war paint, and possibly leading a chant you’ve been rehearsing since orientation. It’s part performance, part rite of passage, and fully legendary. You don’t watch a game here – you conduct it.

• 📍 Exact seat: Front row of Section 17 (midcourt, behind scorer’s table)
• 🎓 Tradition bonus: Proximity to opposing bench = psychological warfare

6. Section 19, Row 1, Seat 1 – 16th Hole, TPC Scottsdale (WM Phoenix Open)

Why it’s legendary: There’s no golf seat like it. TPC Scottsdale’s 16th hole is the only one on Earth that functions more like a Roman coliseum than a PGA Tour stop – and Section 19, Row 1, Seat 1 is right at the front of the mayhem.

This is where you feel the beer rain when someone aces it. Where jeers and cheers crash over players like surf. It’s raucous, it’s barely legal, and it’s the most unhinged spot in the sport. If Augusta is sacred, this is sacrilege – and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

• 📍 Exact seat: Section 19, Row 1, Seat 1 (behind pin, front-left)
• 🍺 Side note: No quiet please – this is Happy Gilmore’s kingdom

7. Floor Seat 1, Madison Square Garden (Knicks/Rangers/Everything Else)

Why it’s legendary: Madison Square Garden is where moments become myths – and Floor Seat 1 is where you sit to become part of them. Whether it’s basketball, hockey, boxing, or a Jay-Z drop-in, this seat has been home to a revolving door of power players, legends, and fire-starting fans.

It's where Spike Lee became a storyline. Where Chris Rock roasted LeBron. Where celebrities don’t just sit courtside – they perform. Floor Seat 1 gives you the front-row experience of sports' most electric venue and the chance to wind up on the jumbotron while doing absolutely nothing.

• 📍 Preferred location: Courtside or glass-side, center, Row 1, Seat 1
• 🗽 Legacy: Ali-Frazier, Linsanity, Leetch lifting the Cup – and so, so much more

8. Section 122, Row AA, Seat 1 – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Why it’s legendary: Arrowhead is the loudest stadium in the NFL, and this front-row end zone seat gives you the sound at full blast. Section 122 is where Chiefs fans lose their minds after a Mahomes touchdown – and where defenders start hearing ghosts.

You’re a few feet from the field and close enough to read the lips of players during pre-snap audibles. The noise is so overwhelming, so pure, that it feels like a force pressing on your chest. You’re not just watching football – you’re inside it.

• 📍 Exact seat: Section 122, Row AA (field level), Seat 1
• 🔊 Bonus: Part of Guinness-certified “Loudest Crowd Ever” in 2014

9. Pit Box 1, Yard of Bricks – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Why it’s legendary: At the Indy 500, Pit Box 1 isn’t just a great view – it’s the heart of the operation. From this spot along the Yard of Bricks, you’re watching teams make race-altering decisions while cars whiz by at 230-plus mph.

This seat blends intensity, chaos, and history better than almost anywhere in sports. You're on the frontline of a tactical war, dodging champagne showers and engine fumes. For race fans, it’s the closest thing to heaven. For everyone else, it's a sensory overload of the best kind.

• 📍 Exact seat: Pit Box 1, just over the start/finish bricks
• 🏁 History: Home to the Indy 500, one of Earth’s most iconic sports venues

10. Delta Sky360 Suite – 50-Yard Line, MetLife Stadium (New York Giants & Jets)

Why it’s legendary: This isn’t just a seat – it’s a seat wrapped in velvet, bathed in catering, and dropped at midfield in the nation’s biggest media market. Located directly behind the Giants/Jets sideline at the 50-yard line, the Delta Sky360 Club offers field-level access with the feel of a private suite – you're watching from the same POV as the head coach, without ever sweating through your scarf.

This seat blends premium hospitality with absolute proximity. You walk through a tunnel that players use, sit literally on the field, and are served by waitstaff while surrounded by hedge fund royalty and mega-celebs who treat MetLife like their living room. It's not loud like Arrowhead, or sacred like Lambeau – but in terms of power seat energy, this is Wall Street with cleats.

• 📍 Exact seat: Field-level, 50-yard line, Delta Sky360 Club access (center-most front row)
• 🧣 Experience: Access to private entrance, all-inclusive dining, heated lounge, and the best handshake lineup in sports

🏅 Honorable Mentions

⛳ Augusta National (Amen Corner, Patron Seat on 12 Tee): You’re seated just behind the 12th tee box at the most picturesque – and treacherous – corner in golf. It’s hushed, sacred, and shaded, with a perfect view of the swirling winds that have humbled legends. There’s no scoreboard. No phones. Just whispers, magnolias, and pressure so thick you can feel it from the folding chair.

🏟️ Yankee Stadium (Legends Suite, Behind Home Plate): These are the modern-day throne seats of baseball royalty. With all-inclusive everything and a straight-on view of the mound, you’re watching history from the same angle Babe, Jeter, and Judge stared down opponents. They’re exorbitant, excessive, and fully worth it – if you believe greatness has a price tag.

🏈 Michigan Stadium (50-Yard Line, Row 1, Seat 1): The Big House doesn’t whisper. It booms. Seat 1 on the 50 puts you in the middle of 110,000-plus maize-and-blue believers, with a panoramic view of college football’s most goosebump-inducing traditions. You don’t just watch “The Game” from here – you feel it in your spine.

🥅 Bell Centre (Glass Seat, Corner Boards): Montreal’s cathedral of hockey offers pure, violent poetry at ice level. The corner glass seat delivers thunderous hits, chaotic line changes, and poutine-fueled passion from the loudest fans in the NHL. It's cold. It’s close. And it’s holy ground for the sport’s most obsessed city.

🍸 Allegiant Stadium (Wynn Field Club, End Zone Level): It’s part nightclub, part NFL sideline, and 100% Las Vegas. You're feet from the end zone, sipping cocktails with LED walls behind you and Raiders chaos in front. Is it a seat or a scene? Doesn’t matter – you’re not sitting much anyway.