Not surprisingly, the United States is home to each and every one of the top five most expensive basketball arenas in the world. Ever since Dr. James Naismith invented the sport of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, the United States has dominated the sport worldwide with 16 medals–14 of them gold–in 18 Summer Olympics. Founded in June of 1946, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has become the world’s premier men’s professional basketball league, with greats such as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Julius Erving cementing the league’s status. With 30 franchised teams and a revenue of over $4.6 billion last season, the NBA also claims the most expensive basketball arenas in the world. Read on to see the top five.
5. Staples Center (CA) – $375 million
Opened in October of 1999, the Staples Center is one of the major sporting facilities in the greater Los Angeles area. Home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, the 950,000 square ft Staples Center features over 250 events each year, including the Grammys.
4. American Airlines Center (TX) – $420 million
Located in the Victoria Park neighborhood near downtown Dallas, Texas, the American Airlines Center is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and the Dallas Stars of the NHL. The arena opened in 2001 with the largest ribbon-cutting ceremony ever, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The 72-acre AT&T Plaza also hosts several outdoor events.
3. Amway Center (FL) – $480 million
The Amway Center in Orlando, Florida was opened in 2000 as part of the “Downtown Orlando Master Plan 3,” a plan that also involves improvements to the Citrus Bowl and a new performing arts center. Home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, the Amway Center can hold close to 20,000 fans and features The Spire, which reaches 180 feet into the sky and changes colors.
2. Barclays Center (NY) – $1 billion
Opened in 2012 in Brooklyn, New York and christened with a Jay-Z concert, the Barclays Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets–formerly the New Jersey Nets–of the NBA and hosts a number of concerts, conventions and other sporting events as well. With a capacity of 18,200, the Barclays Center will also be home to the NHL’s New York Islanders starting in 2015.
1. Madison Square Garden (NY) – $1.1 billion
Known widely as the most famous basketball arena in the world, Madison Square Garden (MSG) was opened in 1968 and is home to the New York Knicks of the NBA and New York Rangers of the NHL. Located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, MSG is the oldest and most active sporting facility in the New York metro area and recently revealed the end results of a three year $1 billion renovation, including a suspended bridge over the event floor and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
