Favourite NBA Arena?

[Typical London Boy]

I'm not really looking for an answer along the lines of 'The AT&T Center: because the Spurs play there'. I'm talking about overall atmosphere, location, facilites, sightlines etc.

In other words, the arena that's most comfortable and rewarding. From those i've attended it's a three way toss-up between the AT&T (because the Spurs play there), the Staples Center and MSG.

It'd probably be the middle, but it's a very close call.

As you've probably been to more than I, which would you nominate?

[Armando]

American Airlines Arena

[Extra Stout]

You may be speaking from a faulty assumption, that being that a large number of American fans have travelled to attend NBA games in multiple cities. Your having travelled to as many as three would place you among a select minority. This is especially true of San Antonio, which is a full two hundred miles from the nearest adjacent NBA city, that being Houston. The next nearest, Dallas, is nearly three hundred miles away from San Antonio.

I personally have attended games in San Antonio and Houston. I prefer the ambience at the AT&T Center to that of the Toyota Center. Actually, I preferred Compaq Center to Toyota Center, because at the latter the experience is so anodyne and detached from the action on the court. Toyota Center clearly was designed to cater primarily to the luxury-suite and box-seat fan. At the AT&T Center, every seat is right on top of the action.

[tsb2000]

The AT&T center is a nice place, but neither the intimacy or the food are much to write home about. It's still my favorite place since the Spurs play there, but the ambience can't hold a candle to the old Hemisfair.

People might hate me for saying it, but the Energy Solutions Arena (the former Delta Center) in Utah is a great arena. Not much to look at, but from a fan's perspective, every team in the NBA wants their crowd that loud. It reminds me a lot of ARCO in Sacramento in that regard. The arena was designed for noise, so much that many there complain that concerts are bad there because of the acoustics problems- too much noise! Not a bad seat there, and it's designed more "up" than "out," giving the place a more intimate feel.

Too bad the place is in Utah! :lol

For eats, the food at the US Airways Center in Phoenix is really good. The G'Rilla (get it? Gorilla? Anyway...) dogs ($8.50) are monsterous and can be had with cheese, bacon, bbq sauce, and onion rings. They literally are 12" long. There's also other varieties of that hot dog, such as saurkraut, or cheese and jalapenos. They make suffering while seeing the Suns play well worth it. :)

[BUMP]

the Oracle is already my favorite.

i liked old Staples before they renovated it with the new blackout garbage, the Rose Garden was awesome, the Palace is another place i'd like to visit

[bdubya]

I've been to the Palace and the Untied Center; I've had main floor and nosebleed seats at each. Much prefer the Palace. Palace nosebleed >> UC nosebleed, found the Palace more comfortable overall and easier to follow the game. That's the objective part.

In a somewhat less objective vein, seeing Ben Wallace at the Palace >>> seeing Jordan at the UC. Easier on the checkbook, too....

[SpursDynasty]

San Antonio has the quietest basketball crowd in the NBA.

Oracle Arena - loudest crowd in the NBA.

[Obstructed_View]

Strangely, the only current NBA arenas I've been to are AA and Toyota. Both are very nice, and neither has very much personality. Reunion was my favorite because you were sitting right over the top of the court. The Alamodome was the most fun.

The barbecue at the Toyota Center is pretty damn good.

[monosylab1k]

The AAC is a great arena for people who aren't all that interested in basketball. It's very comfortable and has lots of ways to distract you from the game. Very cush but if you're a basketball diehard, it can be annoying.

Reunion Arena had a great basketball atmosphere. Very loud and not a bad seat in the house. It's a shame the Mavericks aren't still playing there.

[DOMINATOR]

Actually, I preferred Compaq Center to Toyota Center, because at the latter the experience is so anodyne and detached from the action on the court.
compaq center kicked ass

[Extra Stout]

San Antonio has the quietest basketball crowd in the NBA.

Oracle Arena - loudest crowd in the NBA.
The San Antonio crowd often treats the game like it is Bingo Night at the VFW.

Which many in the crowd also attended.

[MrChug]

Madison Square Garden. Haven't been there since '98 but damn that place was sweet.

[sribb43]

The AAC is a great arena for people who aren't all that interested in basketball. It's very comfortable and has lots of ways to distract you from the game. Very cush but if you're a basketball diehard, it can be annoying.

Reunion Arena had a great basketball atmosphere. Very loud and not a bad seat in the house. It's a shame the Mavericks aren't still playing there.
ya too bad the mavs couldnt move all there playoffs games back to reunion arena

[dallaskd]

ya too bad the mavs couldnt move all there playoffs games back to reunion arena

The seats at the AAC are too comfortable and theres to many lounges in the middle of the arena

[sribb43]

I remember the 2001 playoffs vs the Jazz and Spurs @ reunion. After walking out of that arena I couldnt get my hearing back to normal for about 30 minutes. The game were the mavs blew the Jazz out and Finley dunked on Malone was the loudest game ive ever been too
http://www.nba.com/0001PGrabs/finley_m_dunk_grab_050101.jpg

[kontrolheat]

American Airlines Arena
word :toast

[IGNORANT MAVS FAN]

Texas Stadium.

[Obstructed_View]

The seats at the AAC are too comfortable and theres to many lounges in the middle of the arena
And where would the Mavs fans go to drink and look at each other while pretending to watch the game on TV?