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Many NBA arenas have started to welcome back fans. Before the COVID-19 shutdown, these arenas housed some of the most loyal fans and hosted several NBA games.
These NBA arenas are not just popular in basketball because they also host some of the world's biggest non-sporting events.
These arenas are not just home to the biggest NBA teams. Some are monuments because of their history and significance to their cities.
Five of the most popular NBA arenas right now
The popularity of NBA arenas is determined using select parameters. The five NBA arenas that made this list were selected based on their location and franchise history.
On that note, here are the top five most popular NBA arenas right now.
#1 Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (MSG) is the home of the New York Knicks and has been one of the most popular NBA arenas for decades.
Even though the Knicks are not as big as they once were in the NBA, they still play in the most famed arena in the world of sports.
MSG is the oldest active NBA arena and has been home to the Knicks since 1968. The 820,000 sq ft spherical theater has gone through several renovations and now has a capacity of around 20,000. Several tenants have come and gone, but only three are still housed by MSG.
#2 Staples Center
Staples Center is in the heart of Los Angeles and is home to two top-flight NBA franchises - the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers. The arena opened in 1999 and has since housed both NBA franchises as well as the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL.
Although the center is relatively new, its popularity skyrocketed following the LA Lakers' success in the early 20th century. It is also the permanent venue for the famous Grammy Awards and has a capacity of about 20,000.
#3 Barclays Center
The Barclays Center is located in the Big Apple, which says a lot about why this NBA arena is one of the most popular ones. A Jay-Z concert marked the opening of the arena in 2012.
The location is one of the main reasons for the Barclays Center's popularity as it is in one of the most vibrant cities in the US, New York City, and is home to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Barclays Center does not have a lot of history in the NBA but is one of the modern state-of-the-art arenas that seats about 19,000 fans.
#4 United Center
The Chicago Bulls' success during the Michael Jordan era has made the United Center one of the most popular NBA arenas to date.
The United Center became the home of the Bulls in 1994 and hosted the NBA Finals soon after in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Known as the largest arena by capacity in the NBA, the 96,000 sq ft center has a capacity of about 23,000 people.
The Chicago Bulls have not had success in recent years in the playoffs, but the United Center remains one of the most electrifying NBA arenas in the league.
#5 American Airlines Arena
The American Airlines Arena is located in Miami and has been home to the Miami Heat since 2000. While there is not much history attached to this arena, it hosted the 2012, 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals, with the Heat bringing home the championship in 2012 and 2013.
The arena seats about 20,000 basketball fans and is close to the beautiful Miami beach. A name change is expected ahead of the 2021-22 season as FTX Crypto Exchange acquired the naming rights to the arena in March 2021.
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