Curated playlist
NBA venues
- Mortgage Matchup CenterMortgage Matchup Center has been named for an airline, a resort and a materials company.
- Smoothie King CenterAfter Hurricane Katrina, a New Orleans arena took in the Superdome's medical operations.
- Crypto.com ArenaLos Angeles's Crypto.com Arena was nearly never built. People called it "the deal that almost wasn't."
- State Farm ArenaState Farm Arena put all its luxury seats on one side of the building.
- Kia CenterFive WWE pay-per-views were held at Kia Center in Orlando with no live fans. Screens filled the seating bowl.
- Toyota CenterHouston voters rejected a new Rockets arena in 1999, then approved it a year later. Toyota Center opened in 2003.
- FedExForumA fan's email led to the see-through shot clock, first used at FedExForum in 2004.
- Frost Bank CenterBexar County voters approved a new arena the day the Spurs got their first title rings. It became Frost Bank Center.
- Capital One ArenaOn opening day in 1997, President Bill Clinton toured the museum inside Capital One Arena.
- Ball ArenaThe Denver Nuggets won their first title at home in Ball Arena on June 12, 2023.
- Target CenterTarget Center opened in 1990 without an NHL team because of soft drinks.
- United CenterUnder the Bulls' basketball floor at United Center sits a hockey rink. The ice is assembled like a puzzle.
- Paycom CenterHurricane Katrina sent the New Orleans Hornets to play two seasons in Oklahoma City's arena, now Paycom Center.
- Spectrum CenterCharlotte voters rejected a new arena in 2001, 57% to 43%. The city built Spectrum Center anyway, without another vote.
- Kaseya CenterMiami's Kaseya Center has a scoreboard modeled on underwater sea anemones. It changes colors with the mood of an event.
- Little Caesars ArenaLittle Caesars Arena put Detroit's Red Wings and Pistons under one roof. It replaced two older arenas.
- Xfinity Mobile ArenaA Philadelphia arena erupted in a riot when Guns N' Roses never showed up. Damage reached $30,000-$40,000.
- American Airlines CenterA few weeks after American Airlines Center opened, drivers could see into its restrooms. The glass was the wrong type.
- Scotiabank ArenaScotiabank Arena in Toronto began as a 1940s mail sorting building. It sits on land that was once Lake Ontario's floor.
- Gainbridge FieldhouseGainbridge Fieldhouse once had a swimming pool on its basketball floor. It hosted a 2004 world swimming meet.
- Moda CenterModa Center's ceiling holds 160 rotating panels shaped like airplane wings. One side reflects sound, one absorbs it.
- Golden 1 CenterSacramento built Golden 1 Center to keep its basketball team from leaving.
- Chase CenterChase Center opened on September 6, 2019, with Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony.
- Delta CenterThe Delta Center is an indoor arena in Salt Lake City, and on one night in June 1997 it became a measuring instrument. During Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, a decibel meter sat at floor level, and its readings climbed above 110 decibels.…
- Fiserv ForumThe NBA warned the Bucks to get a new arena underway or be sold and moved. Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee was the result.
- TD GardenTD Garden once sold its name on eBay, one day at a time. The Boston arena auctioned thirty one-day names in 2005.
- Intuit DomeBefore each Clippers game, the venue covered up Lakers banners and championship displays.
- Rocket ArenaRocket Arena's first event in Cleveland was a Billy Joel concert, not a basketball game.
- Barclays CenterBarclays Center opened in 2012 with a Jay-Z concert and brought major league sports back to Brooklyn.
- Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden replaced the above-ground part of Penn Station. That loss led to a landmarks commission.