With the Sacramento Kings’ season starting Thursday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, there are still questions about how good the Kings can be and what the team’s ceiling is. But one thing Kings fans don’t have to worry about is the experience of attending a game at Golden 1 Center.
On Wednesday, ESPN released their 2024-25 NBA Arena Rank, which surveyed NBA insiders who found Golden 1 Center the best arena in the NBA. The poll was based on four categories: accessibility; location and food; concessions and amenities; and overall fan experience.
Golden 1 Center, located in DOCO, or Downtown Commons in downtown Sacramento, was ranked in the top five in all four categories. ESPN had a glowing review of the home of the Kings:
“Small market, elite arena. There might not be a more underrated arena in the league than the Golden 1 Center. 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. 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. 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. 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.” – ESPN
Kings fans will be proud but not particularly surprised by the results of the poll, as they have loved every aspect of the arena since it opened in 2016.
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