An NBA arena is built for noise, and the biggest of them pack in well over twenty thousand fans on game night. Beyond basketball they host concerts, fights and shows, making them some of the busiest buildings in their cities. Here are the ten NBA arenas with the largest capacity.
Except for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers that share the Staples Center arena in LA, each of the other 28 NBA teams have their own arena. The spectators capacity of each of those 29 arenas is similar and ranging from about 17,000 to 23,000. Before you is a list of the 10 arenas with the largest capacity (including standing room)
1. United Center – Chicago Bulls – 23,129 spectators
The United Center in Chicago opened in 1994 and has the largest (standing) capacity among all the NBA arenas. It is home to the Chicago Bulls as well as the Chicago Blackhawks NHL team
2. The Palace of Auburn Hills – Detroit Pistons – 22,076 spectators
Opened in 1988 the home stadium of the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Michigan is only one of two (the other being Madison Square Garden) stadiums that aren’t named after a sponsor. It’s also the oldest stadium in this list
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: The Palace of Auburn Hills – Detroit Pistons (source: source: Kevin Ward)
3. Time Warner Cable Arena – Charlotte Hornets – 21,624 spectators
The Time Warner Cable Arena, or the Hive as it’s commonly known, is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s the newest arena in this list, opened only in 2005
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Time Warner Cable Arena – Charlotte Hornets (source: Justin Ruckman)
4. Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia 76ers – 21,315 spectators
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia 76ers (source: PHL Approach)
5. American Airlines Center – Dallas Mavericks – 21,146 spectators
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: American Airlines Center – Dallas Mavericks (source: RadicalBender)
6. Moda Center – Portland Trail Blazers – 20,709 spectators
7. Staples Center – Los Angeles Lakers (19,125) and Los Angeles Clippers (20,578)
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Staples Center – Los Angeles Lakers
8. Quicken Loans Arena – Cleveland Cavaliers – 20,562 spectators
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Quicken Loans Arena – Cleveland Cavaliers (source: Chris Metcalf)
9. Air Canada Centre – Toronto Raptors – 20,511 spectators
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Air Canada Centre – Toronto Raptors
10. Philips Arena – Atlanta Hawks – 20,425 spectators
Pin It Largest NBA Arenas: Philips Arena – Atlanta Hawks (source: Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee))
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