With 30 teams, 82 games per season, and more than 70 years of excitement, the NBA has earned its spot as one of the most popular professional sports leagues. Around $1.4 million viewers watch the regular season games, and the 2022 NBA Finals are watched by 12.4 million on average on TV.
What about the venues where the NBA games are played? If you’re interested in learning more about NBA arenas, continue reading!
We have ranked the arenas starting from the oldest NBA arenas to the most recently opened ones. Plus, we included some interesting facts every true NBA fan would find interesting.
Overview
Atlantic Division
The NBA’s Atlantic Division belongs to the Eastern Conference and features five teams, four of which are located on the east coast of the US. The fifth team is the Toronto Raptors.
So, let’s see the arenas that are home to the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors, ranked by age.
Madison Square Garden
Here’s an interesting fact – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, now known as Oakland Arena, was opened in 1966 and was the oldest NBA arena until 2019.
In April 2019, the Golden State Warriors finished their last season in this arena and moved to the Chase Center. Therefore, Madison Square Garden became the oldest NBA arena, opened in 1968.
Madison Square Garden is also the most expensive arena if we count both the original construction and renovation costs.
| Opened in | 1968 |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Capacity | 19,812 |
| Home to | New York Knicks |
TD Garden
You may find it interesting that an average of 12.4 million US viewers (6.58 TV ratings) watched the 2022 NBA Finals between Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.
This NBA arena, along with Madison Square Garden, Crypto.com, American Airlines Center, and American Airlines Arena, is considered the best arena that offers world-class facilities and the best experience.
| Opened in | 1995 |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Capacity | 19,156 |
| Home to | Boston Celtics |
Wells Fargo Center
| Opened in | 1996 |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Capacity | 20,478 |
| Home to | Philadelphia 76ers |
Scotiabank Arena
The Scotiabank Arena is the only NBA arena outside of the US. It’s the home of the Toronto Raptors, a team that belongs to the Atlantic Division.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Toronto, Canada |
| Capacity | 19,800 |
| Home to | Toronto Raptors |
Central Division
The NBA’s Central Division belongs to the Eastern Conference and is home to five teams, including the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Therefore, these are home arenas to the teams, ranked by age.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
| Opened in | 1994 |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Capacity | 19,432 |
| Home to | Cleveland Cavaliers |
United Center
Did you know that the United Center in Chicago is the largest stadium by capacity? This NBA arena can seat 20,917 people, which is about 2,000 spectators more than the average stadium capacity among arenas.
Another amazing fact is that the Chicago Bulls have the highest home attendance in a regular season, with about 20,900 visitors per game.
| Opened in | 1994 |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Capacity | 20,917 |
| Home to | Chicago Bulls |
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Unfortunately, not all facts mean something positive. For instance, the Indiana Pacers generated only $264 million in revenue in the 2021/22 season. That’s the lowest revenue of the season.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Capacity | 17,923 |
| Home to | Indiana Pacers |
Southeast Division
The Southeast Division has five NBA teams: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. Let’s check their stadiums, from oldest to youngest.
Capital One Arena
| Opened in | 1997 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Capacity | 20,356 |
| Home to | Washington Wizards |
Miami-Dade Arena (FTX Arena)
The Miami Heat are very tempting to watch. In fact, the team has one of the highest numbers of spectators on average, along with the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Miami, Florida |
| Capacity | 19,600 |
| Home to | Miami Heat |
State Farm Arena
State Farm Arena is the home for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers. The arena’s cost was $213.5 million and is owned by Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority and Tony Ressies with a group of investors.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Capacity | 18,118 |
| Home to | Atlanta Hawks |
Southwest Division
The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs belong to the NBA’s Southwest Division. Here are their NBA arenas ranked by the age of opening.
Smoothie King Center
Here we have the smallest NBA arena by seating capacity. The Smoothie King Center has 16,867 seats, which is about 2,000 seats less than the average in the league.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Capacity | 16,867 |
| Home to | New Orleans Pelicans |
American Airlines Center
An interesting fact to know is that the Dallas Mavericks are one of the teams with the highest number of spectators on average. You should also know that the team has some of the most inexpensive tickets in the league.
| Opened in | 2001 |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Capacity | 19,200 |
| Home to | Dallas Mavericks |
Northwest Division
The Northwest Division belongs to the Western Conference of the NBA. It has five teams: the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz.
Target Center
Since 1990, Target Center has hosted numerous shows, concerts, sports, and private events. This arena is also the second-oldest NBA arena after Madison Square Garden.
| Opened in | 1990 |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Capacity | 18,978 |
| Home to | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Vivint Arena
One of the most interesting facts you’ll find in any article about NBA arenas is that the Vivint arena in Salt Lake City, home to the Utah Jazz, is the loudest NBA arena in the US.
| Opened in | 1991 |
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Capacity | 18,308 |
| Home to | Utah Jazz |
Moda Center
| Opened in | 1995 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Capacity | 19,441 |
| Home to | Portland Trail Blazers |
Ball Arena
Ball Arena is the nation’s finest arena for sports and entertainment. Also, it is one of the rare sports venues in the USA that offers separate practicing full-size basketball facilities for its team.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Denver, Colorado |
| Capacity | 19,520 |
| Home to | Denver Nuggets |
Pacific Division
The last division in this article is the Pacific Division in the NBA’s Western Conference. It features five teams: Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings.
Footprint Center
This arena was constructed for only about $90 million. It’s worth mentioning that it went under about $170 million renovation in 2021.
| Opened in | 1992 |
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Capacity | 17,071 |
| Home to | Phoenix Suns |
Crypto.com Arena
This is the only arena home to two NBA teams. The new home for the Los Angeles Clippers, called Intuit Dome, is in construction, and it’s expected to open in 2024.
| Opened in | 1999 |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Capacity | 19,068 |
| Home to | Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers |
James is a big time NBA Golden State follower, who makes sure to catch games when he's in the area. He likes to follow International Soccer, with an interest in small town soccer club, Blackburn Rovers located in the North on the UK.