Where Kings’ G1C, Warriors’ Chase Center ranks on ESPN’s list of top arenas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Light the beam.
The Kings scored a pretty impressive win one day before theirs 2024-25 NBA season even begins.
on wednesday, The ESPN staff cooperated to rank the league’s venues based on a five-point scale across four categories — “Accessibility/location, food/concessions, amenities and overall fan experience,” and Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center came out on top.
“Small market, elite arena. There may not be a more underrated arena in the league than the Ora 1 Center,” wrote ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “It doesn’t have the nostalgia of Arco Arena, which closed in 2022, but it makes up for it with top-notch food, amenities and fans. … Let’s not forget the arena’s most defining characteristic: the iconic purple beam that is lit from the top of the building after every Kings victory.”
No lies detected.
The 17,608-seat arena has been a treasure in Downtown Sacramento since it opened in 2016 and is revered for its deafening home crowd; just listen to the roar of the Kings crowd afterwards guard Kevin Huerter nailed a timely 3-point shot against the Utah Jazz during the 2022-23 season.
Golden 1 Center is often packed to the brim, and it should be even louder during the upcoming 82-game gauntlet with star forward DeMar DeRozan in the mixture.
But there is more to Golden 1 Center, which has Youngmisuk and Co. convinced that it is the best the NBA has to offer.
“This arena claims the No. 1 spot in our rankings after scoring in the top 5 in all four categories and No. 1 in accessibility and location,” Youngmisuk said. “In the heart of downtown, the arena is surrounded by restaurants, and the food inside the arena is also worth writing home about.”
“The local restaurants and breweries inside source 90% of their ingredients within a 150-mile radius of the arena, and there’s even a dedicated coffee bar to support fans during those late-night games. With a fan base nicknamed ‘Cowbell Kingdom,’ the crowd is one of the loudest in the league — a reason it ranked fifth in fan experience.
ESPN ranked Madison Square Garden of the New York Knicks second behind Golden 1 Center and the Warriors’ Chase Center third.
“While it will never replicate the memories and atmosphere of Oakland’s Oracle Arena, the $1.4 billion Chase Center, located on the bay side of San Francisco, lives up to the hype,” Youngmisuk wrote. “First, the arena’s food claimed #1 in our concession rankings along with amenities … In partnership with Adobe, there are 87 original pieces of art, including one of [Warriors guard] Steph Curry eating popcorn.
“In downtown San Francisco with views of the Bay Bridge, ‘Dub Nation’ comes in eighth for overall fan experience. … the Warriors’ arena took a hit in the accessibility/location category (23rd overall).”
ESPN also decided against lining up the Los Angeles Clippers’ new $2 billion Intuit Dome because it has some “flaws” to iron out.
Until the Intuit Dome is adequately evaluated, one thing is certain: The Kings have the best home field advantage in the NBA.
