The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t made it to the NBA Finals for eight consecutive years now. The New York Knicks swept them in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, ending any postseason ambition that was left. They have a tough summer ahead with big trade decisions to make. But Cleveland has been spending some time cashing in on its painful end to the season. Its partnership with ‘The Realest’ from February is finally getting into the thick of things…

The Cavaliers have taken the love for Rocket Arena’s celebrity row to a whole new level, offering the affluent a chance to buy a piece of history. With the help of memorabilia company The Realest, the franchise has put its courtside chairs from Games 3 and 4 of the ECF up for bidding, according to The Athletic. Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Ben Stiller, and Machine Gun Kelly famously occupied those seats.

According to further details, the chair comes with a premium Gold OVD certification. An official authenticator was on site during the games and documented its connection to Swift through “The Realest’s witness-based and tamper-proof TRuEST™ authentication system.”

“As one of the most recognized and influential artists of her generation, the occupant of this chair has earned worldwide acclaim through a career defined by commercial success, critical recognition, and multiple Grammy Award victories,” the bidding description read. “Her attendance reflects the cultural reach of the NBA Playoffs and the significance of the Eastern Conference Finals as one of the most visible events in sports.”

Even though the listing did not spell out Swift’s name, the page mentioned “14-time Grammy Award winner” at the top, which directly indicates it’s her, since no other female artist has exactly 14 career Grammy wins.

The ECF became a cultural event, making Rocket Arena a celebrity hotspot and courtside seats prime real estate. Notably, Game 3 of the ECF drew 8.1 million viewers, the most-watched ECF Game 3 since 2011, and Game 4 on ESPN averaged 7.2 million viewers, marking the most-viewed ECF Game 4 across any network since 2018. People expected Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to pull off another clutch storyline, but it wasn’t meant to be.

But it is safe to say that the interest in those courtside chairs increased exponentially soon after bidding opened on Friday at $100. By Sunday, there were already 38 bids, driving the selling price to $6,000. Bidding will remain open until June 14, 8 p.m. ET, according to the website.

Founded by DJ Skee, The Realest has made a name for itself by selling other unusual memorabilia, like the chair used by Caitlin Clark during the 2024 Big Ten Tournament. It ended up selling for $3,722. The company also auctioned $50 pints of snow from the Eagles’ 2025 NFL playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams.

As part of their association with the Cavaliers, they’ve sold authenticated game-used items that’ve brought in more than $50,000 in a month, according to Cleveland.com. Chris Kaiser, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group, said he was “very happy” with the results of the inaugural auction and admitted he “didn’t know what to expect” initially.

Other special pieces of merchandise, like James Harden’s home debut jersey from the February 11 game vs. the Washington Wizards, brought in more than $10,000! Similarly, a Spida Mitchell jersey went for $8,000 to $9,000, Kaiser revealed.

“The whole idea is we want our fans to connect with our brand and connect with their memories around these games in a deeper way,” Kaiser said.

The Knicks are also auctioning MSG courtside tickets for Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs (current bid is a whopping $500,000), with proceeds going to charity.

Pivoting back to Cleveland, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attended a game in the previous round in support of the Cavaliers. They’re a major reason those seats are going at such a high price at the auction this week. Let’s understand why and how they suddenly landed up for the game, given they’re not the usual attendees.

When Taylor Swift sat courtside with Travis Kelce to watch the Cavs

On Saturday, May 23, the New York Knicks visited Rocket Arena for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers were already down 0-2. And fate certainly didn’t get better that night, as they finished 108-121 against the Knicks, putting New York only one win away from the NBA Finals.

Despite the loss, it turned out to be a star-studded night as Ohio’s very own Travis Kelce sat courtside with pop star Taylor Swift, who’s also his fiancée. Kelce gave fans a moment to remember in the fourth quarter. The 36-year-old chugged down a beer on camera with the arena cheering for him!

“I don’t know if his girlfriend is going to like to see him chugging beers like that,” Richard Jefferson said on air, reacting to the moment.

Kelce has a deep connection with the city. A native of Westlake, Ohio, he made his mark as a standout multi-sport athlete at Cleveland Heights High School, excelling in football, basketball, and baseball long before global fame. Moreover, Kelce was a two-star football recruit before joining Cincinnati.

The Kansas City Chiefs veteran once admitted that he’d happily swap lives with LeBron James for 48 hours because it was his childhood dream to play in the NBA. But for now, though, there is less NFL and sports talk around him.

The football star and Grammy winner announced their engagement last August, and they’re reportedly gearing up to exchange wedding vows on July 3, 2026. They’ve intentionally kept a tight lid on the specifics of what has been dubbed America’s royal wedding.