ESPN ranks Kings' Golden 1 Center as best arena in NBA
SACRAMENTO – ESPN has named the Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, as the best arena in the NBA.
In the ESPN ranking, the writers admit the arena doesn't have the nostalgia of Arco Arena. However, they say G1C scored in the top five in location, food, amenities and overall fan experience.
Located in the Farm-to-Fork capital, the arena's chefs and restaurants source 90% of their ingredients from a 150-mile radius, celebrating the Sacramento area's diversity.
ESPN says the G1C crowd is one of the loudest in the league, helping boost its ranking in fan experience. Also adding to the overall fan experience is the purple beam, which lights up in celebration of every Kings win.
The arena, located in downtown Sacramento, opened in 2016 and holds 17,608 fans.
Fans are set to fill G1C Thursday night as the Kings host the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first game of the 2024-2025 season.
The Kings made the play-in tournament last season but failed to get into the postseason.
They made offseason moves in hopes of getting back into the playoffs, such as acquiring six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal.