- 26,910
- Houston, Texas, USA
- JMarine25
Prepare for a thread from me in another forum with this related topic. This is a spinoff of "Best and Worst Ball Parks" as I turn my attention from baseball to basketball. Again, I encourage you to talk about basketball arenas in various respects. I want my NBA people. I want my college people. I want some of my international basketballers to go at it. What are some of your favorite and least favorite basketball arenas? I'd like for you all to share the name of the stadium and where it's located.
NOTE: I'm not sure whether or not I'll accept football stadiums converted for basketball use as qualification for good basketball arenas.
Allow me to start.
Toyota Center - Houston, TX, USA
I've been to only one true basketball arena in my time. I've been to Toyota Center here in Houston, TX. There was a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Game that I got to attend and was televised on TNT. It was where I saw Tracy McGrady make two consecutive (and uncontested) 3-pointers from just past half court. Walking around the arena from where I was designated to sit at, the arena is beautiful and awesome. I even said that I'd love to see events like the Final Four come to Houston. And in 2010, college basketball's four best college teams will converge in Houston at Toyota Center. It's an amazing place to see a basketball game. I still haven't seen a true Rockets game, but I probably wished I could have been to The Summit (then named Compaq Center, now Lakewood Church) to see Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, Robert Horry, and all the Rocket greats that led us to our back-to-back championships in the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons. It even hosted the All-Star game either this year or last year. It's a great arena in downtown Houston. You've never too far away from Minute Maid Park if you want to see some pro sports in Houston.
Madison Square Garden - New York City, NY, USA
For most people, it doesn't get any better than this- one of my personal favorite cities with America's most famous arena. I'm not going to even start mentioning all the different events that happened at this place. Too many to count. Wrestlemania. Final Four games. Heavyweight boxing matches. Even serves as the home of the Big East championship game. Usually used by St. John's University for the non-football school's home games. Countless games, and wouldn't it be something to be street ballin' at Rucker Park to hopefully be playing for the sorry Knicks in trying to make them shine again?
Now for some college picks. With dozens of schools across the nation, there are a lot to choose from. So bear with me here.
Dean E. Smith Center - Chapel Hill, NC, USA
This arena is on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Just to know there's a good game at this arena is awesome to watch. It can be North Carolina playing North Carolina State, Kentucky, or a little school called... Duke. It's like an NBA arena for college. I do enjoy watching matches with North Carolina in this Chapel Hill arena.
Rupp Arena = Lexington, KY, USA
I also enjoy watching college ball from Kentucky. The seven-time National Champions play at this storied arena where fans (like my GTP friend and Kentucky alum, FoolKiller) come out in Wildcat blue and white. Around 24,000 or so pack this arena for Kentucky basketball. It's even hosted some Final Four action like when Georgetown and Villanova played for the National Championship in the 1980s.
Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Pittsburgh has three Division 1 schools- Duquesne, Robert Morris, and the University of Pittsburgh. In "College Hoops 2K7," the arena design for my user-created team is inspired by the Petersen Events Center. I'm kind of humming the Pittsburgh fight song as I'm typing this
. The Steel City Kitties play their home games in the awesome Petersen Events Center. It even hosted an episode of Jeaprody! when it was a college week. The place went crazy when one of the contestants was a University of Pittsburgh student (go fig). It's probably my true favorite college basketball arenas.
The Palestra - Philadelphia, PA, USA
What do you get when Pennsylvania, Temple, Villanova, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle, and even Drexel compete to decide the finest basketball college or university in the greater Philadelphia area? You take your aggressions out at The Palestra. Usually home to the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in basketball, this is one of my favorite arenas thanks in part to the history involved with this place. Philly's five key schools (except Drexler) make up the Big 5. The Big 5 plus Drexel make up the City 6. Great history for this city and this arena.
Mackey Center - Santa Clara, CA, USA
Santa Clara University used to have one of the proudest college football programs until its demise in 1993. Santa Clara came up with an arena with 20-foot tall window walls as Bronco faithfuls saw their Jesuit university play its basketball. Most people would ask why you'd need windows anyways. Well, I tend to like windows. Most arenas have a whole lot a people to full a place up without any need for windows. But almost any arena that offers up a nice view of the sky is fine with me. It's an amazing arena for this West Coast Conference school.
Rose Gym - New York City, NY, USA
This is the oldest arena in college basketball. Opened in 1925, this arena served as a bunker for American troops during World War 2. Even still, this is home to Fordham University and their Ram basketball program. It wasn't until last year(?) when the first-ever televised game was on the ESPN network. Fordham played the 49ers of North Carolina-Charlotte (or just Charlotte nowadays. I still refer to them as North Carolina-Charlotte). The arena is beautiful inside from what I've seen on television. The kings of college basketball in NYC is St. John's. But this arena is amazing.
Other college notables:
Edmunsen Pavillion - Seattle, WA, USA (U. of Washington Huskies)
Cintas Center - Cincinatti, OH, USA (Xavier U. Musketeers)
??? - Brooklyn, NY, USA (Long Island U. Blackbirds)
"The Pit" - Albuquerque, NM, USA (U. of New Mexico Lobos)
I don't know much on international arenas. So I can't tell you about any nice arenas in Spanish basketball or anywhere in FIBA basketball.
I don't have a least favorite arena, but in terms of arenas that need to be renovated, I'd say Hoffheinz Pavillion. It is the only arena in Division 1 basketball with the scoreboard attached to the ceiling. Most traditional arenas have scoreboards held together by cables from the ceiling. But at Hoffheinz, you see the ceiling... then the scoreboard attached to it. To make things worse, the ceiling is pretty low. It is VERY old and needs some renovation. Otherwise, it's still a great place to see Houston Cougar basketball including Phi Slamma Jamma getting it done on the basketball court.
Continue this thread, people!
NOTE: I'm not sure whether or not I'll accept football stadiums converted for basketball use as qualification for good basketball arenas.
Allow me to start.
Toyota Center - Houston, TX, USA
I've been to only one true basketball arena in my time. I've been to Toyota Center here in Houston, TX. There was a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Game that I got to attend and was televised on TNT. It was where I saw Tracy McGrady make two consecutive (and uncontested) 3-pointers from just past half court. Walking around the arena from where I was designated to sit at, the arena is beautiful and awesome. I even said that I'd love to see events like the Final Four come to Houston. And in 2010, college basketball's four best college teams will converge in Houston at Toyota Center. It's an amazing place to see a basketball game. I still haven't seen a true Rockets game, but I probably wished I could have been to The Summit (then named Compaq Center, now Lakewood Church) to see Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, Robert Horry, and all the Rocket greats that led us to our back-to-back championships in the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons. It even hosted the All-Star game either this year or last year. It's a great arena in downtown Houston. You've never too far away from Minute Maid Park if you want to see some pro sports in Houston.
Madison Square Garden - New York City, NY, USA
For most people, it doesn't get any better than this- one of my personal favorite cities with America's most famous arena. I'm not going to even start mentioning all the different events that happened at this place. Too many to count. Wrestlemania. Final Four games. Heavyweight boxing matches. Even serves as the home of the Big East championship game. Usually used by St. John's University for the non-football school's home games. Countless games, and wouldn't it be something to be street ballin' at Rucker Park to hopefully be playing for the sorry Knicks in trying to make them shine again?
Now for some college picks. With dozens of schools across the nation, there are a lot to choose from. So bear with me here.
Dean E. Smith Center - Chapel Hill, NC, USA
This arena is on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Just to know there's a good game at this arena is awesome to watch. It can be North Carolina playing North Carolina State, Kentucky, or a little school called... Duke. It's like an NBA arena for college. I do enjoy watching matches with North Carolina in this Chapel Hill arena.
Rupp Arena = Lexington, KY, USA
I also enjoy watching college ball from Kentucky. The seven-time National Champions play at this storied arena where fans (like my GTP friend and Kentucky alum, FoolKiller) come out in Wildcat blue and white. Around 24,000 or so pack this arena for Kentucky basketball. It's even hosted some Final Four action like when Georgetown and Villanova played for the National Championship in the 1980s.
Petersen Events Center - Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Pittsburgh has three Division 1 schools- Duquesne, Robert Morris, and the University of Pittsburgh. In "College Hoops 2K7," the arena design for my user-created team is inspired by the Petersen Events Center. I'm kind of humming the Pittsburgh fight song as I'm typing this
. The Steel City Kitties play their home games in the awesome Petersen Events Center. It even hosted an episode of Jeaprody! when it was a college week. The place went crazy when one of the contestants was a University of Pittsburgh student (go fig). It's probably my true favorite college basketball arenas.The Palestra - Philadelphia, PA, USA
What do you get when Pennsylvania, Temple, Villanova, Saint Joseph's, and La Salle, and even Drexel compete to decide the finest basketball college or university in the greater Philadelphia area? You take your aggressions out at The Palestra. Usually home to the University of Pennsylvania Quakers in basketball, this is one of my favorite arenas thanks in part to the history involved with this place. Philly's five key schools (except Drexler) make up the Big 5. The Big 5 plus Drexel make up the City 6. Great history for this city and this arena.
Mackey Center - Santa Clara, CA, USA
Santa Clara University used to have one of the proudest college football programs until its demise in 1993. Santa Clara came up with an arena with 20-foot tall window walls as Bronco faithfuls saw their Jesuit university play its basketball. Most people would ask why you'd need windows anyways. Well, I tend to like windows. Most arenas have a whole lot a people to full a place up without any need for windows. But almost any arena that offers up a nice view of the sky is fine with me. It's an amazing arena for this West Coast Conference school.
Rose Gym - New York City, NY, USA
This is the oldest arena in college basketball. Opened in 1925, this arena served as a bunker for American troops during World War 2. Even still, this is home to Fordham University and their Ram basketball program. It wasn't until last year(?) when the first-ever televised game was on the ESPN network. Fordham played the 49ers of North Carolina-Charlotte (or just Charlotte nowadays. I still refer to them as North Carolina-Charlotte). The arena is beautiful inside from what I've seen on television. The kings of college basketball in NYC is St. John's. But this arena is amazing.
Other college notables:
Edmunsen Pavillion - Seattle, WA, USA (U. of Washington Huskies)
Cintas Center - Cincinatti, OH, USA (Xavier U. Musketeers)
??? - Brooklyn, NY, USA (Long Island U. Blackbirds)
"The Pit" - Albuquerque, NM, USA (U. of New Mexico Lobos)
I don't know much on international arenas. So I can't tell you about any nice arenas in Spanish basketball or anywhere in FIBA basketball.
I don't have a least favorite arena, but in terms of arenas that need to be renovated, I'd say Hoffheinz Pavillion. It is the only arena in Division 1 basketball with the scoreboard attached to the ceiling. Most traditional arenas have scoreboards held together by cables from the ceiling. But at Hoffheinz, you see the ceiling... then the scoreboard attached to it. To make things worse, the ceiling is pretty low. It is VERY old and needs some renovation. Otherwise, it's still a great place to see Houston Cougar basketball including Phi Slamma Jamma getting it done on the basketball court.
Continue this thread, people!
