Each NBA team has its unique home arena where they can feel at home and be themselves during the NBA season. Fans are often encouraged to support their hometown teams regardless of their success or lack thereof on the court.
In today’s list, we will take grade all 30 NBA team’s arenas in alphabetical order. The grades for each arena will be based on team performance, structure, popularity and fan attendance.
American Airlines Center – Dallas Mavericks (A)
The American Airlines Arena is one of the most electrifying indoor arenas in the league. It is located in the Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. This is the go-to spot to watch the legend of Luka and Kyrie.
Ball Arena – Denver Nuggets (A+)
Located in downtown Denver, Ball Arena hosts one of the most loyal fan bases around the league. With Nikola Jokic steering the Nuggets to a championship in 2023, tickets are selling like crazy whenever the Nuggets are in town.
Barclays Center – Brooklyn Nets (B-)
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Barclays is often overlooked due to its European design amongst the Brooklyn skyscrapers. Sharing a city with the Knicks, the team is often considered an unwanted sibling in the greater New York area.
Capital One Arena – Washington Wizards (C-)
Capital One Arena doesn’t get much love among folks in Washington. Aside from being one of the oldest arenas in the league, the team’s performance and direction are often questioned by their mostly angry fan base.
Chase Center – Golden State Warriors (A+)
Chase Center is the home of Steph Curry and the Warriors. With its prime location, state-of-the-art technology and the picturesque view of the beautiful San Francisco Bay, purchasing a ticket to watch the Dubs is just the cherry on top of the cake.
Crypto.com Arena – LA Lakers and LA Clippers (A)
Going inside Crypto Arena is not just an ordinary experience – it’s also immersing yourself in the Lakers’ rich history. Banners are proudly displayed up in the rafters and as a bonus, you might see LeBron put up a masterpiece on game day.
Delta Center – Utah Jazz (B)
Opened in 1991, Delta Center has a strong following in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even though the Jazz haven’t delivered a championship in the city, the small market team prides itself on key acquisitions through the draft or via trade.
FedEx Forum – Memphis Grizzlies (C)
While FedEx Forum isn’t generally viewed as one of the most popular arenas in the league, people from Memphis continue to support their team through good times and bad. With Ja Morant providing a buzz for the city, the future looks much brighter now for the team.
Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee Bucks (A)
If we talk about amenities, Fiserv Forum has it all. The food selection has been great and the area surrounding the arena is wide. Opened in 2018, if anybody wants to see Giannis destroy the rim with his ferocious dunks, this is the place to go.
Footprint Center – Phoenix Suns (C+)
Footprint Center is one of the oldest arenas in the league. They have an overly optimistic fan base even though the Suns had minimal success in the last three decades. With Durant on board, Phoenix is hopeful he can deliver them a title soon.
Frost Bank Center – San Antonio Spurs (B-)
Aside from hosting the Spurs, the arena also hosts the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Although the Spurs dynasty is over, fans continue to flock to their games due to their loyalty towards the team.
Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indiana Pacers (B-)
It’s not the Pacers’ fault that they aren’t the most popular sporting event in Indiana. However, their arena, despite being one of the oldest in the league, is slowly getting some recognition due to its exceptional hosting prowess throughout the years.
Golden 1 Center – Sacramento Kings (B+)
Located at the heart of downtown Sacramento, Golden 1 Center is one of the loudest arenas in the entire league. Their fan base is always rocking whenever the Kings are in town. Plus, with the ‘light the beam’ gimmick that’s visible throughout the city, everybody is informed that the Kings have won a game.
Kaseya Center – Miami Heat (A)
If you are interested in different cultures and diversity, Kaseya Center is the place for you. Home to the Miami Heat, this arena has a strong influence within the Latino community.
Kia Center – Orlando Magic (C)
Kia Center is one of the newer arenas in the league. The amenities are considered classy but with a mix of some old-school touch. The gate attendance, however, takes some hit because the Magic hasn’t been as competitive as they’d like since Dwight Howard left town more than a decade ago.
Little Caesars Arena – Detroit Pistons (B-)
Opened in 2017, Little Caesars Arena hasn’t seen a significant return yet due to the Pistons being one of the NBA’s cellar-dwelling teams in recent years. Gate attendance has been down too and the pressure to improve the team has been a hot topic among locals.
Madison Square Garden – New York Knicks (D)
Although opposing players often cite that they love to play in the Garden, the fans who attend the games generally view it as a different experience. The oldest arena in the league, its owner, James Dolan, is somewhat intolerable when it comes to his rivals and misbehaving fans.
Moda Center – Portland Trail Blazers (C+)
Opened in 1995, Moda Center has a solid fan base and boasts a steady gate attendance whether the Blazers are competitive or not. Their fans also shower their players with praise and they value loyalty over anything else.
Paycom Center – Oklahoma City Thunder (B)
For a small market team, the Thunder’s fan base is surprisingly forgiving with their former stars leaving to seek greener pastures. They fully trust the Thunder’s management when it comes to basketball operations – a trait truly admirable.
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland Cavaliers (B)
The city of Cleveland loves its basketball team. Even when LeBron went to Miami for a few years more than a decade ago, the gate attendance ranks as one of the best in the league. When LeBron came home and delivered a title to the city, the place was loud and rocking.
Scotiabank Arena – Toronto Raptors (A-)
With the Raptors being the lone NBA team that calls Canada home, Scotiabank Arena is a go-to place whenever you are in Toronto. Their fans are one of the nicest in the league and the place is full of people with different ethnic backgrounds.
Smoothie King Center – New Orleans Pelicans (D)
With the Pelicans relegated as the younger sibling of the New Orleans Saints of the NFL, fan experience may vary when you watch the team on their home floor. They have been consistently at the bottom half of gate attendance in the NBA for years.
Spectrum Center – Charlotte Hornets (C-)
While North Carolina has a rich history when it comes to basketball, the same thing cannot be said for the Hornets. Poor roster construction, bad draft picks and incompetent management haunt the team on a year-to-year basis.
State Farm Arena – Atlanta Hawks (C-)
The Hawks haven’t been competitive despite the brilliant play of Trae Young. As a result, the team’s attendance has suffered in recent years. Had they held onto Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA draft, they’d be contenders today.
Target Center – Minnesota Timberwolves (D)
Opened in 1990, Target Center hasn’t really seen much success on the court from the Timberwolves. The arena is the second oldest in the league behind MSG. There’s not much going on up in the rafters either except for a few retired jerseys.
TD Garden – Boston Celtics (A+)
If you want to see an arena and a loyal fan base that respects tradition, then TD Garden is the perfect spot for you. The Celtics probably have the most loyal fanbase in the entire league and they are very passionate about their team, no matter the opponent.
Toyota Center – Houston Rockets (B-)
When the Rockets are winning, this is one of the loudest arenas in the league. But when their team is in a rebuilding phase, their fans may also grow impatient with the process. Nonetheless, whenever you are in the area, just give the arena a chance to either surprise or disappoint you.
United Center – Chicago Bulls (A+)
This is an arena where you go for the experience, not the team. Although the Bulls have not been as competitive since Michael Jordan left the game for good, the aura of MJ’s success never really left the arena.
Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia 76ers (B)
With Philadelphia’s reputation as a sports city, the experience you might get when you attend Sixers games could either be memorable or forgettable. They are unforgiving when their team plays badly but they can also be the opposite if things are going well.
