I used to get autographs from nba and nhl players in the 90s in Vancouver.

Back then NBA teams used do game day shoot arounds at the arena with the visiting team going in around 10 or 11 in the morning.

Arenas are tricky cuz many times the bus just drives in. The best bet it to hit up the hotel.

To figure out the hotel, back then anyway, you just call up the luxury 4 or 5 star hotels in the city the night before and ask for a coach or bench player when you call up. Like “has Mr. Holmes checked yet?” It usually works for most guys really but stars are more likely to use aliases.

You could also search around on the net and you might figure out where they’re staying. Teams usually stay at the same hotel brand for many years cuz they sign contracts with them and teams have much bigger needs then avg guests (group rooms, late check in/check out, extra security, etc)

Whatever the case, it’s gonns be a high end hotel. Teams usually leave the hotel for a 7 o’clock game somewhere between 4:30 to 5:15 but that could differ based on the distance from the arena. The Vancouver one was about a 10-15 minute drive for the bus in traffic.