Celina Powell didn’t try to dress it up. She said it straight. Instead of putting money into stocks, she puts it into courtside seats. And in her words, the return is different.
Speaking on One Night with Steiny, Powell explained how she approaches NBA games like an investment opportunity. Not for money, but for access. She said sitting courtside, right next to the players’ benches, has helped her get multiple NBA players’ phone numbers.
“I’ve invested in some courtside tickets. I sat next to the players’ benches and I got three players’ numbers. One DM’d me. One asked their homeboy to pass it down.”
“And then the other one, his coach literally went around and gave me a piece of paper and was like, call that number. I said, is this your number? He said, when you call that number, you’ll like who it is.”
“When I got home and I typed in that number and put it on Cash App, I was like, oh my God, you guys are not gonna believe.”
She said one player reached out through DMs. Another had a teammate pass along his number. And then there was a third situation that stood out. According to Powell, a coach walked over, handed her a piece of paper, and told her to call the number on it.
She didn’t even know who it was at first.
That’s the part that turns this from a casual story into something bigger.
Because courtside seats in the NBA aren’t just expensive, they’re exclusive. In many arenas, those seats cost thousands, sometimes tens of thousands per game. You’re not just watching the game from a better angle. You’re part of the environment. You’re visible. You’re close enough to interact.
And Powell is clearly using that to her advantage.
This isn’t even the first time she’s talked about it. In the past, she’s openly discussed how she manages to get courtside access and what comes with it. Her comments have gone viral multiple times, especially when tied to speculation about players or teams.
So when she frames it as an ‘investment,’ it sounds intentional.
You spend money upfront, you position yourself in the right place, and then you see what comes from it. For Powell, that return isn’t financial. It’s connections, conversations and opportunities.
Still, the reaction to this kind of approach is always split.
Some see it as opportunistic. Others see it as part of the reality around modern sports culture, where courtside has become a mix of basketball, entertainment, and visibility. The lines blur quickly when you’re that close to the game.
And players notice.
That proximity changes everything. You’re not just a face in the crowd, you’re right there. Within reach. That creates moments that wouldn’t exist anywhere else in the arena.
At the same time, stories like this also highlight how much the NBA experience has evolved. Courtside used to be about celebrities, team insiders, and high-level connections. Now it includes influencers, creators, and personalities who understand how visibility works in a different way.
Powell fits into that shift. She’s not pretending to be there just for basketball; she’s there with a purpose. And whether people agree with it or not, she’s been consistent about that approach.
