Hot on the heels of the NCAA March Madness, the NBA playoffs kicked off this week. For the next six weeks, we’ll have tons of high-stakes games with the biggest stars in the sport competing for a chance to win the Larry O’Brien championship trophy, and bragging rights for the next year.
Let’s take a look at some of the venues where teams will play in this year’s NBA playoffs.
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Two of the leagues biggest teams happen to share one awesome arena, but not for much longer. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers have shared space at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) since it opened in 1999.
The arena is unique in that it is the only stadium shared by two NBA teams, but it also houses the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, and still finds time to host hundreds of other events, including the Grammys, each year.
In 2024, the Clippers are scheduled to move to their own arena, the Intuit Dome, which will be next to the SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood.
This spring, the Lakers, which made it into the playoffs via the play-in tournament, and the fifth-seed Clippers, will play the Grizzlies and Suns in the first round, keeping the grounds crews and all the arena employees very busy as they turn over the facility between the two series.
TD Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
TD Arena in Boston is one of the region’s gathering points for sports and entertainment, hosting both the NBA’s Boston Celtics, and the city’ NHL team, the Bruins. Like other stadiums, it hosts college events, other sporting events, and concerts and entertainment all year long.
This spring, the number-two seed Celtics will have home-court advantage, giving them an added boost as they play the Atlanta Hawks.
Kayesa Center, Miami, Florida
This spring, Kayesa Center in Miami will be hosting the Miami Heat in the 2023 playoffs. The recent naming history has been crazy, changing from the American Airlines Arena to FTX Arena in 2021. But when the crypto company went bankrupt in dramatic fashion last winter, the arena needed a new sponsor. Fortunately, the local software company Kayesa stepped up, and committed to a 17-year agreement for the building.
The eighth-seed Heat have their work cut out for them against the recent champions and current number one-seed Milwaukee Bucks. But the playoffs are crazy, and anything can happen in the first to four series!
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
The New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan, along with the New York Rangers of the NHL. The venue is possibly the most famous sports and entertainment arena in the US.
MSG was first founded in the 1800s, long before basketball or the Knicks even existed. The current venue was built in 1968, and is still known as one of the most expensive venues built. Unlike some other venues, it’s not just a sports facility, but has as many concerts and entertainment events as athletic ones. In fact, the unique concave roof is incredibly helpful for acoustics, making it an excellent place for musicians to perform.
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The Brooklyn Nets moved back to New York from across the river in New Jersey in 2012, and to the Barclays Center. Interestingly, the Barclays bank, which paid at least $200 million for naming rights, doesn’t even have any banks in New York, or even the US!
Like Madison Square Garden, the venue also hosts an NHL team, the New York Islanders. It is also home to the WNBA team the New York Liberty. The Nets are playing the three-seed 76ers, and lost the first game, but hopefully they can pull out a win at the next game!
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Massachusetts
There are at least a few players in the playoffs who will end up in the NBA hall of fame, which is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Named after the sport’s inventor, James Naismith, the hall of fame is located in a $47 million venue.
It houses displays about the creation and history of basketball, as well as the best and most influential players in the sport. Players including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Lauren Jackson, and Manu Ginóbili have been inducted into the hall of fame. It’s a pretty sure bet that LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be likely contenders after they retire.
There’s going to be a lot of action going on for the next few weeks, on TNT, NBA TV, and ESPN. So be sure to tune in to watch your favorite team, and cheer them on to victory in the championship.