It might be hard to believe now, but before Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan appeared on the scene, the NBA lagged far behind the NFL and MLB in terms of ticket sales and fan interest. Of course that has changed quite a bit in recent times, and now a new crop of stars led by LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant has made NBA basketball tickets among the hottest of all sports tickets.

And nothing is hotter than NBA playoffs tickets, especially this season. The San Antonio Spurs are working on an NBA dynasty as they go for their fifth title since 1999, but two of the league’s premier teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, will surely have something to say about that. Remarkably, it’s been more than two decades since the last time the Celtics hoisted an NBA championship banner to the rafters, but with K.G., Paul Pierce and Ray Allen this might finally be the year that the TD Banknorth Garden gets a new addition. Fans have been eagerly snapping up Boston Celtics playoff tickets just like they did in the glory days of Bird and Kevin McHale.

Lakers playoff tickets are on the minds of L.A. sports fans as Kobe tries to bring the first title to Staples Center since 2002. He’s out to prove he can win a championship without Shaquille O’Neal, and his Lakers are among the favorites in the Western Conference. Just about every basketball fan is excited about the chance of seeing the Celtics and Lakers in the NBA Finals. If that does happen there will be unprecedented demand for NBA Finals tickets as fans clamor to see those two great teams meet.

Of course that is far from a sure thing, as the Pistons, Hornets, Magic, Cavaliers and Jazz all appear to be legitimate threats. The NBA standings were so tightly packed during the regular season that it’s impossible to predict who will be left standing at the end, but it’s sure to be an entertaining ride for anyone lucky enough to score NBA playoffs tickets.