After years of trying, I can finally boast of having visited all 30 current arenas in the NBA. So of course, the next thought I had is, why not compile my own NBA arena rankings?
Ranking sports venues, of course, is a fun exercise no matter how you slice it! Arena and stadium rankings are subjective and highly debatable, and each list will weigh certain attributes over others depending on what the ranker likes most about his or her live NBA experience.
I finally completed my NBA arena list at the start of the 2025-26 season with a visit to Crypto.com Arena to see the Lakers in action. That brought my lifetime total of NBA venues visited to 38, a total that includes eight no longer in use.
So, following the same template as my MLB ballpark rankings and NHL arena rankings, this NBA arena rankings list has a twist: I’m including those eight defunct arenas and comparing them with the current venues for a list of 38 in all.
They’re listed from best to worst, as those arenas at or near the top of my rankings likely won’t be much of a surprise to veteran traveling NBA fans. But to me, the most interesting part of this exercise is comparing old (or in a few cases no longer standing) arenas to their newer peers.
I’m using familiar attributes to grade each building: Crowd atmosphere, vibrancy of location, ease of getting to games and architectural features.
Which NBA arenas do I think are worthy of the top spot in the rankings? And which one do I consider the worst I’ve ever visited? Check out the entire list of 38 below.
Let me know what you think! Leave a comment below or drop me a line at [email protected].
1. Chase Center
The home of the Golden State Warriors takes the top spot in my NBA arena rankings. Why? Chase Center has the ideal blend of everything a fan would want in a live basketball experience: A layout designed for basketball (as opposed to a multipurpose one that has to accommodate a hockey rink), all the technological bells and whistles and a fantastic location along San Francisco Bay, in an emerging neighborhood. If you’re an NBA fan, it’s absolutely worth the trip to check this place out.
2. Kaseya Center
Located in downtown Miami and a short distance from South Beach, Kaseya Center exudes every bit of that South Florida party scene, making a night of basketball feel not much different from a trip to the club. But beyond that, the arena does a great job representing a franchise that has shown the region a lot of good times over the years. It’s one of the top arenas in the NBA to visit, whether you’re a big hoops fan or not.
3. Intuit Dome
You’re probably thinking: Wait, didn’t they spend $2 billion to build Intuit Dome? And it’s still not enough to make it the top NBA arena? Yes, this arena has some incredibly cool features that you won’t find anywhere else. But it’s probably saying something about the Clippers as a franchise that the “wow” factor of going to see an NBA game here just isn’t there yet. Maybe that improves with time, but for now the technology — as big of a draw as it is — is really the only attraction here.
4. Madison Square Garden
For all the big events that the venerable Madison Square Garden hosts, it still seems like the arena is at its most energetic when the Knicks are thriving. It’s the oldest venue in the NBA but that turns out to be a plus in terms of atmosphere — just one of the many factors, from its location in the heart of Manhattan to its long history — that make it a must-visit for NBA fans.
5. Rocket Arena
The days of watching LeBron James in his prime in Cleveland are long past, but Rocket Arena remains a great place to check out an NBA game. From its prime location in downtown Cleveland to its spacious interior concourses and large — but still plenty loud — seating bowl, Rocket Arena has just about every feature you’d expect in a basketball venue, and every aspect is done very well.
6. Fiserv Forum
Thanks to the star power of Giannis Antetokoumnpo, the Milwaukee Bucks have thrived over the past few seasons. But the opening of Fiserv Forum in 2018 sure helped, too. The arena saw the Bucks win their first title in 50 years in 2021, and throughout its existence it has helped shine a spotlight on just how wild the fans of Milwaukee can be — both in the outdoor “Deer District” and inside a well-designed venue.
7. Gainbridge Fieldhouse
It’s difficult to understate how much folks in Indiana love basketball, and in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, they have a great place to cheer on their Pacers. It’s in a fantastic location in downtown Indianapolis, and its dramatic atrium leads fans into a seating bowl that’s large but has great basketball sight lines. Don’t forget to walk around the concourses to see numerous exhibits highlighting the growth of the sport in Indiana.
8. Crypto.com Arena
Admittedly, some of the spark is missing from the days when Kobe and Shaq were ruling over Staples Center. But despite its new, clunky name, Crypto.com Arena is holding up well as the Lakers roll into their Luka Doncic era. The Lakers continue to be a wildly popular draw in notoriously fickle Los Angeles, and thanks to a multi-year renovation, the arena has updated features bringing it into line with some of its snazzier contemporaries.
9. State Farm Arena
A thoughtful revamp nearly a decade ago brought the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena into the upper echelon of NBA arena rankings in a big way. The venue provides a modern, energetic basketball experience, but then you take into account a terrific location, a great food selection and unique features like an in-arena barbershop, and it becomes a place traveling basketball fans just have to check out.
10. Golden 1 Center
It must have been a dream for Sacramento Kings when their franchise, for years on the verge of leaving town, moved into the Golden 1 Center in 2016. With great sight lines and a massive overhead videoboard, it’s an ideal basketball environment. The arena also has a food and drink selection that honors the region’s underrated culinary scene. Now, if only the Kings can find their way into long-awaited contention.
11. Barclays Center
On its own, Barclays Center is a very nice place to watch an NBA game. It’s located in a vibrant part of Brooklyn, on top of a major transportation hub, and inside the arena manages to feel both sizable and intimate at the same time. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that is shares a metro area with a more popular basketball team that plays in a more historic and interesting arena — a fact that’s hard to overlook.
12. Kia Center
Many visitors to Orlando, Florida, stick to the theme parks and don’t bother to venture downtown, but if they detoured from Disney World they’d find a vibrant NBA environment at the Magic’s Kia Center. The arena plays an important role in an underrated nightlife scene in Orlando, while providing a well-designed venue for basketball that can see enthusiastic crowds when the Magic are playing well.
13. TD Garden
This might be a surprisingly low ranking for the home of one of the NBA’s legendary franchises, but the Celtics’ TD Garden doesn’t really offer that feeling that you’re doing something unique and historic besides the sight of that distinctive parquet floor. As far as fan experience, the arena certainly stands up thanks to a prime location in Boston’s North End and a modern, though uninspiringly designed, venue.
14. Delta Center
The longtime home of the Utah Jazz, Delta Center is currently undergoing a series of innovative renovations, mainly to improve the experience for the NHL’s Mammoth. But that doesn’t mean that basketball is becoming second fiddle here. The arena’s intimate sight lines and distinctly Utah features are being maintained, and its location in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City can’t be beat.
15. Moda Center
Located across the Willamette River from downtown Portland, Moda Center feels slightly detached from the core of the city and slightly too large for its market. But these are only slight downsides, as the home of the Trail Blazers can be one of the NBA’s most raucous arenas when the team is performing well. And not surprisingly, the city’s first major sports franchise has a loyal following that makes for a terrific basketball atmosphere on game nights.
16. Paycom Center
Even before the Thunder rewarded their fans by bringing home the NBA championship in 2025, Paycom Center felt like one of the most unique environments in the league. While its downtown location is great and its fan amenities are plenty satisfactory, the arena does feel small. So with the team’s ever-growing popularity, it’s no surprise that a new venue is in the works to replace Paycom Center in 2028.
17. Target Center
With the Timberwolves’ emergence as title contenders in recent years, Target Center has become a more happening place. The arena’s location amid a vibrant part of downtown Minneapolis has always been a plus, but the building itself wasn’t anything special until a renovation nearly a decade ago that made it much more inviting to fans. Though it feels unnecessarily cavernous, Target Center has plenty of modern fan amenities.
18. Scotiabank Arena
Any perception that the Toronto Raptors get no love in the shadow of the immensely popular Maple Leafs of the NHL will be dispelled by just attending a basketball game at Scotiabank Arena. Even in down years, the Raptors can fill the arena, but of course the city’s passion for hoops was on full display during the team’s run to the NBA title in 2019.
19. Toyota Center
In Toyota Center, the Houston Rockets have had a beautiful and functional place to play since 2003. Located downtown, it has plenty of modern amenities and reminders of the team’s long history, including the back-to-back titles it won in the 1990s. However, like many of the arenas in this part of the rankings, it’s difficult to identify a feature that makes Toyota Center stand out for NBA fans.
20. Little Caesars Arena
If you consider the arena experience on its own, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit probably deserves to be higher on this list. However, it gets dinged because it feels too much like the Pistons are just tenants in the palatial home of the NHL’s Red Wings. It definitely felt that way when the arena first opened in 2018, but admittedly a lot of progress has been made toward giving the Pistons an identity here. Perhaps more years of sustained contention will help them feel more at home.
21. United Center
The United Center is the house that Michael Jordan built, and any NBA fan can appreciate the history — and the many, many nods to that era of Bulls basketball — that can be found here. Strolling the halls and seeing the statues and trophies might be the highlight of a visit here, though. The arena isn’t in a convenient location, at least for visitors to Chicago, and this cavernous arena has some sections up high that are surprisingly poor viewing experiences for basketball.
22. FedExForum
FedExForum is in the heart of downtown Memphis, just steps from the famous clubs and bars on Beale Street. As such, the leadup to a Grizzlies game can be a blast, with numerous nearby bars bustling with basketball fans and a decidedly fun energy on the streets. However, when you get inside, FedExForum doesn’t feel much different from any other NBA experience, which is why it lands in the middle tier of these rankings.
23. American Airlines Center
The Dallas Mavericks have gotten plenty of utility out of American Airlines Center over 25 years, and have reached three NBA Finals and won a title there. But the fact that they are actively looking to build a new facility probably tells you something about how the arena stands up among its NBA peers. On its own, though, it’s not a bad experience — a decent location in Dallas’ Midtown district, making games easy to get to, is the best thing about it.
24. Ball Arena
The Denver Nuggets’ Ball Arena suffers from the same issues as other facilities in this part of the NBA arena rankings: Pretty good location, functional arena to watch basketball, but then what? The Nuggets’ 2023 run to the championship certainly brought some juice to the experience, but besides that, going to a game here offers little in the way of wow factor.
25. Frost Bank Center
The entire experience of visiting San Antonio, Texas, revolves around visiting the many attractions and restaurants downtown — which is why the decision to move the city’s only major professional sports team away from the downtown core back in the early 2000s was such a short-sighted one. Frost Bank Center is a fine arena for the Spurs, but its location is such a detriment that a new downtown arena is in the works, to open by 2032.
26. Oracle Arena
The first no-longer-in-use arena on my NBA rankings, Oracle Arena beats a handful of current buildings because of its raucous atmosphere even before the Warriors’ dynasty began in the mid-2010s. It’s easy to forget that beforehand, the franchise had experienced little success for a good 40 years. But Warriors games remained fun, spirited experiences, and the arena’s location in a gritty part of Oakland became part of the team’s identity — one that has now been forsaken in favor of the glamour across the Bay.
27. Xfinity Mobile Arena
Recently renamed from Wells Fargo Center, Xfinity Mobile Arena‘s days are numbered as the 76ers (and the NHL’s Flyers) are constructing a replacement venue. The building itself is far from flashy despite a handful of renovations, and its location in Philly’s Sports Complex is a detriment — perfectly suited for the larger, tailgating-minded crowds of Eagles and Phillies games but drab at best when 20,000 fans or less are headed to an NBA game.
28. Capital One Arena
Capital One Arena is another one of those buildings that falls into the category of decent enough venue, great location, but not much else to offer. It also doesn’t help that the Washington Wizards have been among the NBA’s doormats for decades now. However, brighter days are ahead as a major set of renovations are coming to improve the home of the Wizards and NHL’s Capitals.
29. Mortgage Matchup Center
More than three decades (and about six names) ago, the arena now known as Mortgage Matchup Center was a trendsetter among NBA venues. Now, despite a lot of changes over the years and a pretty nice location in downtown Phoenix, the Suns’ longtime home feels like it’s in need of a refresh. The good news is that there’s a good baseline already in place — it just feels like more needs to be done to raise it back to the level of a top-notch NBA experience.
30. Spectrum Center
Similarly to Mortgage Matchup Center, Charlotte’s Spectrum Center has a great location and a pretty good building already … but then what? The little touches they’ve added to the Hornets’ home to make it feel like a true “Buzz City” are nice but don’t really enhance the experience of watching an NBA game. Like some of its fellow arenas on this portion of the rankings, it would probably help if Spectrum Center had a contending team to bring some juice to the atmosphere.
31. Smoothie King Center
Smoothie King Center is just your average NBA arena in a decent part of New Orleans — right next to the Caesars Superdome but a bit removed from the French Quarter and other vibrant parts of the city. So with the venue being nothing special, the Pelicans not often an exciting team to watch and the location not really living up to its potential, what’s there to look forward to? That’s why Smoothie King Center ranks as the lowest current arena in these NBA rankings.
32. Veterans Memorial Coliseum
I had the good fortune to watch a game at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the Trail Blazers’ Clyde Drexler-led heyday in the early 1990s. The Coliseum was famously the smallest arena in the NBA at the time, seating just over 12,000, and thus it felt like fans were on top of each other. When the team is good and the game is exciting, that’s a positive, though I’d imagine that by today’s standards it wouldn’t be viewed as a good thing.
33. The Forum
To fans of the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s, the Forum was indeed fabulous. But it was also an intimate building with a single concourse and not much in the way of amenities (at least, if you weren’t a VIP), in a location that didn’t become nostalgic until SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome rose nearby in Inglewood. The Forum still stands, used mainly as a concert venue, and plenty of L.A. sports fans remember its glory days fondly.
34. KeyArena
Back in the Seattle SuperSonics’ heyday, KeyArena was a serviceable if not flashy venue — the distinctive roof and the location in the shadow of the Space Needle were its defining characteristics. The Sonics’ departure in 2008 left a huge hole in the local sports scene, and now that the building has been rehabilitated into Climate Pledge Arena, a very nice home for the NHL’s Kraken, hope remains that the NBA will revive the Sonics in the next round of expansion and this building can host hoops again.
35. SkyDome
It might be hard to believe, but in the first few years of the Raptors’ existence in the mid-1990s, they played their home games at SkyDome (aka Rogers Centre), the home of baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays. Like other experiences of basketball being played in massive stadiums, this one wasn’t good if you were anywhere besides the lower level. The upper deck, high even by baseball standards, were downright terrible for hoops. Thankfully, Scotiabank Arena came onto the scene by 2000.
36. Continental Airlines Arena
The longtime home of the New Jersey Nets before the franchise moved to Brooklyn, Continental Airlines Arena (known originally as the Meadowlands Arena) was definitely a product of its era of venue construction. It was a large concrete venue in a concrete sea, located next door to Giants Stadium (which was eventually replaced by MetLife Stadium). Despite having been closed for years, it remains standing, though with a murky future.
37. Arco Arena
Say this for Arco Arena, the onetime home of the Sacramento Kings: It had plenty of character, and its, shall we say, unremarkableness fit in with the scrappy character of the team that played there. However, all things must pass, and the Kings’ repeated flirtations with relocation eventually led to the construction of the Golden 1 Center, which was a good thing. Now demolished, Arco Arena now falls into the category of “dumps that fans still look back upon fondly.”
38. Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The lowest venue on these NBA arena rankings, the L.A. Sports Arena was home to the Clippers for 15 seasons because it was, you know, there. Already somewhat outdated by the time the Clips arrived in 1984, very little was done to keep it updated during their stay there. Finally, the team took the lifeline of moving in with the Lakers at Staples Center in 1999. The much-unloved Sports Arena finally met the wrecking ball in 2016, to be replaced by the soccer-specific BMO Stadium.
Edward de la Fuente | Itinerant Fan
I live for sports, and I love to travel. My biggest thrill is combining the two. I’ve been blogging about sports travel for more than a decade, and traveling for sports for twice as long. To find out more, check out our About page.
