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.
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“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.
HUERTER CLUTCH pic.twitter.com/dXh8uGI1hi
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 31, 2022
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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 ranked the New York Knicks’ Madison Square Garden second behind Golden 1 Center and the Warriors’ Chase Center third.
"Though it will never replicate the memories and atmosphere of Oakland's Oracle Arena, the $1.4 billion Chase Center, located on the bayside of San Francisco, lives up to the hype," wrote Youngmisuk. "For one, the arena's food claimed No. 1 in our concessions rankings along with amenities. ... In a 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 at eighth for overall fan experience. ... the Warriors' arena took a hit in the accessibility/location category (23rd overall)."
ESPN also decided against ranking the Los Angeles Clippers’ new $2 billion Intuit Dome, since it has some "glitches" to smooth over.
Until Intuit Dome is adequately rated, one thing is certain: The Kings have the NBA’s best home-court advantage.