NBA Arenas by Capacity, Largest to Smallest

The biggest and smallest NBA arenas

The United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls, is the largest NBA arena by listed basketball capacity, at 20,917 seats. The smallest is the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, home of the Pelicans, at 16,867. Every other arena in the league falls between those two figures, and most sit between 17,500 and 19,500.

Unlike the NFL, where two pairs of teams share stadiums, each of the 30 NBA teams has its own home arena. The newest is Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, which the LA Clippers opened in August 2024. The oldest in use is Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968 and was rebuilt inside its original structure from 2010 to 2013.

All 30 NBA arenas ranked by capacity

The list below runs from largest to smallest by listed basketball capacity, as shown on Wikipedia's list of NBA arenas in November 2026. Several arenas have changed names in recent seasons; the current naming-rights name is used here. Team pages link to schedules and listings, and venue pages link to seating guides where Good Seats has one.

• United Center, Chicago, IL: 20,917 (Chicago Bulls, opened 1994)
• Capital One Arena, Washington, DC: 20,333 (Washington Wizards, opened 1997)
• Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI: 20,332 (Detroit Pistons, opened 2017)
• Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA: 20,007 (Philadelphia 76ers, opened 1996)
• Madison Square Garden, New York, NY: 19,812 (New York Knicks, opened 1968)
• Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON: 19,800 (Toronto Raptors, opened 1999)
• Kaseya Center, Miami, FL: 19,600 (Miami Heat, opened 1999)
• Ball Arena, Denver, CO: 19,520 (Denver Nuggets, opened 1999)
• Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH: 19,432 (Cleveland Cavaliers, opened 1994)
• Moda Center, Portland, OR: 19,411 (Portland Trail Blazers, opened 1995)
• American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX: 19,200 (Dallas Mavericks, opened 2001)
• Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC: 19,077 (Charlotte Hornets, opened 2005)
• Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA: 18,997 (Los Angeles Lakers, opened 1999)
• Kia Center, Orlando, FL: 18,846 (Orlando Magic, opened 2010)
• TD Garden, Boston, MA: 18,624 (Boston Celtics, opened 1995)
• Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX: 18,354 (San Antonio Spurs, opened 2002)
• Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT: 18,306 (Utah Jazz, opened 1991)
• Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK: 18,203 (Oklahoma City Thunder, opened 2002)
• Chase Center, San Francisco, CA: 18,064 (Golden State Warriors, opened 2019)
• Toyota Center, Houston, TX: 18,055 (Houston Rockets, opened 2003)
• Target Center, Minneapolis, MN: 18,024 (Minnesota Timberwolves, opened 1990)
• Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA: 18,000 (LA Clippers, opened 2024)
• Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN: 17,923 (Indiana Pacers, opened 1999)
• FedExForum, Memphis, TN: 17,794 (Memphis Grizzlies, opened 2004)
• Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY: 17,732 (Brooklyn Nets, opened 2012)
• Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA: 17,611 (Sacramento Kings, opened 2016)
• Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI: 17,341 (Milwaukee Bucks, opened 2018)
• Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ: 17,071 (Phoenix Suns, opened 1992)
• State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA: 17,044 (Atlanta Hawks, opened 1999)
• Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA: 16,867 (New Orleans Pelicans, opened 1999)

Why capacity figures disagree

Published capacities for the same arena can differ by a few hundred seats, and both numbers can be correct.

• Basketball vs. hockey: arenas that host both sports seat more for basketball, because the court is smaller than a rink and courtside rows fit closer. Scotiabank Arena lists 19,800 for basketball and about 18,800 for hockey.
• Standing room and premium changes: teams add or remove courtside rows, lofts and standing areas between seasons, so the official figure moves.
• Different sources, different dates: a team media guide, the arena's own site and Wikipedia may be updated at different times. The Good Seats Intuit Dome page lists 18,300 for basketball, while Wikipedia's league list shows 18,000.

For a sold-out game, the practical difference is small. What matters to a ticket buyer is how the seats are arranged: how many rows are in the lower bowl, how steep the upper level is, and how far the top row sits from the court.

Arenas on the way

As of November 2026, Wikipedia lists one NBA arena under construction and several proposed. A new arena for the Oklahoma City Thunder is being built with a planned 2028 opening. New buildings have been proposed for the Philadelphia 76ers in South Philadelphia, the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs, with target dates from 2030 to 2032. Capacities for those buildings had not been set. Plans like these change, so check the team's announcements for current status.

What arena size means when you buy tickets

A larger arena does not automatically mean easier tickets. Demand depends on the team, the opponent and the night of the week, and a 17,000-seat arena with a contender can be harder to get into than a 20,000-seat arena with a rebuilding team. Size mostly changes the shape of the upper level. Bigger buildings tend to add rows or a third tier, which pushes the top seats farther from the court.

The best basketball seats follow the same pattern in every arena: sideline sections in the lower bowl a few rows up, then the corners, then the center of the upper level. The Best Seats at a Basketball Game explains how to choose, and What Is Lower Bowl Seating? covers how levels are named.

Sources

• Wikipedia, List of National Basketball Association arenas
• Wikipedia, Madison Square Garden
• Wikipedia, Intuit Dome