Los Angeles, for US sports fans!

Does the name Crypto.com Arena ring a bell? Does Staples Center sound more familiar? Well, that's only to be expected. Just like Bercy, which became the Accor Hôtel Arena a few years ago, the Staples Center, the legendary Los Angeles venue that hosts many sporting and cultural events, has been renamed the Crypto.com Arena in 2021.

It's really the sporting side that interests us today. This 20,000-seat arena is the main playing field for three basketball teams. Firstly, the Lakers and Clippers, who play in the NBA, the North American league considered to be the best in the world. The arena is also home to the Sparks, who compete in the WNBA, the women's league. Many stars of the orange ball have passed through Los Angeles, especially the Lakers, the historic franchise that is still the most successful team in NBA history with 17 titles (tied with the Boston Celtics). Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, as well as the late Kobe Bryant (who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020)... All these players once wore the 'purple and gold' jersey and left an indelible mark on the franchise. The frescoes and statues around the arena are proof of this.

Players from different franchises in the City of Angels sometimes play within hours of each other. When this happens, the floor, baskets and seats have to be altered to match the right team. Take a look.

An NBA season runs from mid-October to mid-June (mid-May to mid-September for the WNBA). Each NBA franchise (30 in all) plays a minimum of 82 games, 41 of them at home. If you're visiting Los Angeles, there's bound to be a game scheduled. The ideal time to attend a game is from April to June, for the Play-offs, a competition after the regular season between the 16 best teams, who will battle it out for the final title. This is when the stakes are the highest, the intensity the greatest and the atmosphere the most intense.

You can buy tickets on the Crypto.com Arena website, but be warned: tickets are expensive in every sense of the word. Book in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises. Prices vary depending on the opposition or the time of year, but don't be surprised, the price is still very high.

There are also places to watch basketball for free. For the more sporty among you, you can also play. Go to Venice Beach or Angel Park. A simply incredible setting, facing the sea.

From the orange ball to the oval ball. In the United States, American football, known simply as football here, is a veritable institution. Perhaps the major sport on the other side of the Atlantic. In Los Angeles, two teams play in the NFL, the American league. They are the Rams and the Chargers, who play their games at LoFi Stadium, a remarkable 70,000-seat venue that also hosted the SuperBowl in 2022, won by ... the Rams, on home soil!

Unlike basketball, the American football championship starts at the beginning of September and finishes in mid-February with the Super Bowl. Each team plays 'only' 17 matches in the regular season, before the play-offs begin. The atmosphere around the NFL is fantastic, a far cry from what we know in Europe! It's an experience not to be missed and a discipline to be discovered. The stadium also hosts a number of concerts throughout the year.

With a tight schedule, it's harder to get to a match. More complicated, but not impossible! Provided you book well in advance, as the NBA does. Ticket prices vary according to the time of year and the location within the stadium. In Los Angeles, the minimum price is $150 per person.

If you are travelling in August, it is possible to attend a pre-season match. With nothing at stake, tickets are much more affordable, at around $50 per person.

Another popular sport in the United States is baseball. Once again, two professional teams play in Los Angeles, but this time in different stadiums. The Angels, at the 45,000-capacity Stadium of Anaheim, and the Dodgers, at ... Dodger Stadium, with a capacity of 56,000.

The best American baseball teams play in the MLB league, which runs from March to October. At least 46 games are played per team. Like American football, the atmosphere is very special, in a sport that we know little or nothing about in France. A match can be long, very long. At least 3 hours! But the spectacle is well worth it.

As with the previous two sports, we advise you to book tickets in advance. Prices also vary, but are much more affordable than for American football or basketball. During the regular season, tickets can be purchased for around twenty euros.

Ice hockey is the fourth most important sport in the United States. The Los Angeles Kings are the main team in the City of Angels. They play at the Crypto.com Arena, a venue we have already described. There is a second team: the Anaheim Ducks, who play at the Honda Center, an 18,000-seat venue in the southern suburbs of Los Angeles. This venue also hosts concerts and cultural events.

The local hockey teams play in the NHL and play 82 games between October and May. As with basketball, there's bound to be a match when you're in Los Angeles. Once again, it's a unique experience.

Prices vary but are around $75. Once again, you can book in advance.