Lakers issue fraud alert leading up to Kobe Bryant's last game

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As excitement builds for Kobe Bryant's final game on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers are warning fans about the dangers of purchasing fraudulent tickets.

The team has issued a fraud alert to warn fans of buying tickets on the secondary market, advising them to only purchase tickets through the Lakers Ticket Exchange on the team's website.

"We want to make sure buyers are knowledgeable about purchasing tickets from the secondary market," said Tim Harris, the team's senior vice president of business operations.

Harris says Lakers Ticket Exchange at Lakers.com is the only secondary site where purchases are authenticated and verified by Ticketmaster.

This will avoid any possible problems or frustration for Lakers fans who may purchase bogus tickets and be denied access to Wednesday night's game against the Utah Jazz.

Ticket prices to Bryant's last game immediately jumped when Bryant confirmed early in the season that this would be his last. Tickets for Wednesday night's game range from about $600 for a seat in the nosebleed section to $25,000 for courtside tickets.

Bryant will walk off the court in front of his devoted fans in the same building where he hung five championship banners. He retires this week as the third-leading scorer in league history.

"It means everything" to finish at home, Bryant said.

"I grew up a die-hard Laker fan, so it's like a dream come true for a kid to grow up and play for his favorite team, and play here for 20 years, his entire career," he added. "I've seen the city grow. I've seen the city develop, and vice versa. There's no place I'd rather end my career."

City News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this report