Ranking Every NBA Arena From Worst To First

By Jacob Kornhauser

Many NBA arenas may seem the same, but there is a clear division in the quality of venues around the league. There are some that are incredible, some that are merely average, and some that are downright trash. Here is where each arena ranks compared to the others in the NBA.

Ranking Every NBA Arena From Worst To First

← Tip: Use keyboard arrows to navigate →

Sleep Train Arena - Sacramento Kings — This place is aptly named, because most of the time you'd want to fall asleep in this arena. It doesn't help that the Kings haven't been any good lately, but the only time the atmosphere here picks up is when the team is at risk of leaving town. One has to think that will happen eventually.

Target Center - Minnesota Timberwolves — Minnesota simply doesn't care about basketball the way they care about their other three major sports. Although the T'Wolves were excellent about a decade ago, that excitement has faded and made the atmosphere at the arena relatively dead. The current team is promising, so maybe there's still hope.

Amway Center - Orlando Magic — The outside of the Amway Center is actually stunning, but the inside isn't quite as exciting. It is a solid facility, but doesn't have anything particularly unique. Since the Magic haven't been competitive lately, fans haven't had much motivation to fill the seats either.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse - Indiana Pacers — Even when this arena fills up, it doesn't seem like it creates as much of a frenzy as other venues. Pacers fans are among the best in basketball, but the atmosphere has been down the last couple years. If the arena was more conducive to fan noise, perhaps it would be higher on the list.

Vivint Smart Home Arena - Utah Jazz — In the 1990s, the Jazz hosted some of the NBA's biggest games, but that hasn't been the case lately. Of course, this arena is unique, because it hosted some Olympic events when Salt Lake City hosted the Games, but that doesn't make it any more exciting for basketball.

Talking Stick Resort Arena - Phoenix Suns — This has to be the coolest arena name in the sport, but that doesn't make it a great facility. Phoenix is a beautiful city and the exterior of this building doesn't take away from that. However, once you walk inside, you realize you're in a very average venue.

Time Warner Cable Arena - Charlotte Hornets — Charlotte has seen lots of change to its NBA franchise over the years, but their arena has remained largely the same. While this can add to the history of the franchise, it doesn't make it any more enjoyable for fans to take in a game there.

Smoothie King Center - New Orleans Pelicans — New Orleans is an extremely exciting town and the city's NBA arena can be fun at times. Anthony Davis is the team's main attraction, but even he can't put a ton of fans in the stands in NOLA. The facility is pretty nice, but there's never a great atmosphere there.

Moda Center - Portland Trail Blazers — The unique exterior makes Portland's arena look cooler than it actually is. Certainly, it looks different from most of its counterparts, but the inside is extremely plain. Portland doesn't figure to be very competitive any time soon, so the fan totals could go down in the future.

BMO Harris Bank Bradley Center - Milwaukee Bucks — Milwaukee is on the rise and that has made the atmosphere at games much better. The Bradley Center isn't the best facility, though. Marquette also plays there, and it simply doesn't feel like an NBA arena at times. Still, it's a relatively entertaining place to take in a game.

AT&T Center - San Antonio Spurs — This arena has played host to some of the NBA's biggest games over the past decade and a half and the atmosphere is remarkable. If the facility itself was updated a bit more, it would shoot up this list. Like the team, it is plain and somewhat boring, but it gets the job done.

Verizon Center - Washington Wizards — Washington D.C. is an underrated sports city, and their teams' facilities are pretty nice as well. The Verizon Center is by no means a luxurious venue, but it is better than many others in the league. The outside barely looks like an arena, but once you go inside, you can feel the atmosphere, especially now that the team is good.

Philips Arena - Atlanta Hawks — If you just walked past Philips Arena, you might not even realize it's where a professional basketball team plays. It looks really plain on the inside. However, the team does a good job engaging the fans and getting them to impact home games. That's not something all teams can do, so it's quite impressive.

Pepsi Center - Denver Nuggets — Once upon a time, the Nuggets consistently attracted huge crowds. That's just not the case anymore. The team is in the middle of a downturn which makes the atmosphere at home games pretty boring. The facility is nice and the exterior is really unique, so it's not all lost.

FedEx Forum - Memphis Grizzlies — Memphis only has one professional sports team and they pour all of their passion into the Grizzlies. Their arena isn't state of the art, but it is shaped to the town it's in. That means the locals love it, and that's all that really matters. It certainly doesn't match some of the top venues on this list, but it's still pretty impressive.

Chesapeake Energy Center - Oklahoma City Thunder — Now we're getting into some of the better arenas in the league. Oklahoma City did a nice job preparing a good venue for the Thunder when they came to town, and they continue to update the facility. While Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may not be playing there soon, the atmosphere is great for now.

Barclays Center - Brooklyn Nets — The outside of Barclays Center is really funky, but it definitely catches the eye. Inside, the arena itself is actually really cool. Brooklyn hasn't given its fans many reasons to cheer, but they still attract a respectable crowd to their above-average facility.

American Airlines Arena - Miami Heat — It's hard to go wrong in Miami with the weather being great year round, and this stadium provides sweating Floridians an escape. LeBron James may not play his home games there anymore, but fans still get pumped for game day and the arena helps with that.

Toyota Center - Houston Rockets — Houston is a great sports town and fans turn out in droves to Toyota Center. The outside is quite the spectacle and the inside doesn't disappoint. Lately, the atmosphere has been excellent, helped by the excitement of James Harden and Dwight Howard. While Howard likely won't be in town long, the fans are enjoying it for now.

Quicken Loans Arena - Cleveland Cavaliers — It definitely helps that LeBron James plays half of his games here, but the facility itself is actually underrated. It somewhat blends in with the rest of the city, but once you walk inside, you know exactly where you are. As soon as your eyes catch sight of the court as you enter the stands, it feels like a professional basketball atmosphere.

The Palace of Auburn Hills - Detroit Pistons — It hasn't had quite the same atmosphere lately, but this is still one of the best venues in basketball. As long as there isn't as much malice as there was when Ron Artest visited many years ago, that is. The exterior and interior are extremely impressive, so if the Pistons improve in the coming years, the atmosphere could match the excellence of the arena itself.

Air Canada Centre - Toronto Raptors — With the help of Drake and an improved roster, the Raptors have seen fans get more voracious in recent years. That has made the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre a lot of fun. As for the facility itself, it's one of the best in the league with plenty of luxury and normal seating options.

American Airlines Center - Dallas Mavericks — Dallas likes going big and they went big with their basketball team's arena. The Mavericks always get a lot of fan support, and their great venue has a lot to do with that. Do you really think Mark Cuban would let the team play in anything short of a palace? Regardless of how they play year to year, you always know the Mavs are going to be playing at an excellent facility.

United Center - Chicago Bulls — The outside of United Center, other than the sheer size, doesn't really catch the eye. In fact, it looks relatively boring. However, once you step inside, everything changes. They call this the Madhouse on Madison for a reason; fans pack the arena and make it one of the best home-court advantages in basketball (although the team hasn't used that advantage lately).

Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia 76ers — Philadelphia has an excellent sports complex where all of their stadiums are and all of them are among the best in their respective sports leagues. Even though it has hosted a terrible team in recent years, Wells Fargo Center continues to be one of the models for its NBA counterparts.

Staples Center - Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers — One of the most iconic venues in the country, Staples Center plays host to both the Lakers and Clippers. There are always celebrities making their way to this arena, which adds to the excitement of the games, whether it be for the Lakers or Clippers. Even though the Lakers have been terrible lately, the atmosphere hasn't faltered much.

TD Garden - Boston Celtics — From the exterior, to the arena, to the court itself, TD Garden is one of the models of a great NBA arena. The view from inside is iconic; being in the great sports town of Boston is just the cherry on top. If you're looking to take in an NBA game somewhere, TD Garden is one of your best bets.

Oracle Arena - Golden State Warriors — There's a reason this place has been dubbed the "Roaracle". Fans in Golden State, even before the team was dominant, filled up this arena. The exterior looks remarkable and the arena is great as well. What puts this over the top, though, is the amazing atmosphere the fans create. It works, too, because the team hasn't lost a home game yet this season.

Madison Square Garden - New York Knicks — There are few venues in the country more iconic than Madison Square Garden. The aura and the spectacle it creates have attracted many a free agent to New York. If you're looking to really perform and put on a show night in and night out, you want to be playing at Madison Square Garden, the greatest arena in the NBA.

Share On Facebook

Share