Where Kings’ G1C, Warriors’ Chase Center rank in ESPN top arenas list

Where Kings’ G1C, Warriors’ Chase Center rank in ESPN top arenas list originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Light the beam.

The Kings earned quite an impressive victory one day before their 2024-25 NBA season even begins.

On Wednesday, ESPN staff collaborated 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 might not be a more underrated arena in the league than the Golden 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 fan experience. … Let’s not forget the arena’s most defining characteristic: the iconic purple beam that’s lit from the top of the building after every Kings win.”

No lies detected.

The 17,608-seat arena has been treasured 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 after guard Kevin Huerter nailed a timely 3-point shot against the Utah Jazz during the 2022-23 season.

Golden 1 Center often is packed to the brim, and it should be even louder during the upcoming 82-game gauntlet with star forward DeMar DeRozan in the mix.

But there’s more to Golden 1 Center that has Youngmisuk and Co. convinced 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 options inside the arena are worth writing home about as well.”

“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 sustain 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…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/where-kings-g1c-warriors-chase-234351107.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-23 23:43:00

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