Light the Beam: Why ESPN ranks Kings' Golden 1 Center as No. 1 arena in the NBA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Which team has the best arena in the NBA?

According to a panel of ESPN’s NBA insiders, it’s the Sacramento Kings, who hope to light the beam when they play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener Thursday at Golden 1 Center.

ESPN asked its insiders to score each arena on a scale of 1-5 in four categories: accessibility/location, food/concessions, amenities, and overall fan experience. ESPN then averaged those scores to rank each arena.

Golden 1 Center came in at No. 1, topping the New York Knicks’ Madison Square Garden, the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center in San Francisco and the Boston Celtics’ TD Garden. Sacramento’s $558 million downtown arena has been one of the crown jewels of the NBA since it opened in 2016, giving the Kings a new home after years of relocation talks.

“Small market, elite arena,” ESPN wrote. “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.”