With a catchy slogan that boldly states, "I Love This Game!"
the National Basketball Association (NBA) has a lot to live up
to. While the league apparently presumes its fans' undying affection for
the sport, a valid question remains — is the league as popular as
in previous years?
The official attendance statistics answer in the affirmative. By most
measures, the 2005-06 season was a rousing success. The league
finished the season with the highest average attendance in history and
the highest total attendance, surpassing the previous records established
in 2004-05. The average attendance of 17,558 fans per game bested the
2004-05 record of 17,314 fans per game, and the 1995-96 average of 17,252.
The new total attendance record of 21,595,804 eclipsed the previous record
of 21,296,497 established in 2004-05, and the 1995-96 total of 20,513,218
fans attending regular season games. Overall, NBA arenas were filled to
91.4 percent capacity.
NBA Commissioner David Stern, when asked about the league's growth
in popularity said: "Our attendance record is further evidence of
the extraordinary connection that exists between players and fans, and
we are thankful for our fans continued support and passion for the game."
Rated as the most powerful commissioner of any major U.S. sport, Stern garnered
the #1 spot on the 2006 Sporting News "The Power 100" survey.
The sport of basketball has exploded in popularity around the globe during
the last two decades. The NBA now has 11 offices in cities outside the
United States, and during the 2005-06 season distributed programming to
215 countries and territories in 43 languages, according to NBA.com. League
games currently reach 3.1 billion viewers worldwide, and merchandise is
sold in more than 100 countries on six continents. China is the
NBA's second-largest market after the U.S.
Reflecting the internationalization of the game, opening night team rosters
for the 2006-07 season featured a record 83 international players
from 37 countries and territories, narrowly surpassing last season's 82.
Twenty-eight of the 30 teams feature at least one international player.
With a total league roster of 440, foreign-born players account for a
full 19 percent.
So, as it turns out, a multitude of fans all around the globe would indeed
say, "I love this game!"
The final 2005-06 average home attendance numbers are as follows:
1. Detroit Pistons - Detroit, MI - 22,076
Venue: The Palace of Auburn Hills (a.k.a. The Palace) is a large sports
and entertainment arena in Auburn
Hills, Michigan,
a suburb located 33 miles north of downtown Detroit. Since its
completion in 1988, it has been the home of the Detroit Pistons;
since 1998 it has also hosted the Detroit Shock of the WNBA. Check
the Detroit,
MI - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
2. Chicago Bulls - Chicago, IL - 21,188
Venue: The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in the Near
West Side community area of Chicago, Illinois,
named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center
is home to both the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL and the Chicago
Bulls. Its predecessor was the indoor Chicago Stadium, which
was demolished after the newer arena opened for business on August 18,
1994. The famous statue of Michael Jordan is located on the east side
of the arena. Check the Chicago,
IL - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
3. Dallas Mavericks - Dallas, TX - 20,121
Venue: The American Airlines Center is an arena located in the Victory
Park neighborhood near downtown Dallas, Texas,
that is home to the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars (NHL),
and the Dallas Desperados (AFL). Check the Dallas,
TX - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
4. Miami Heat - Miami, FL - 19,954
Venue: The AmericanAirlines Arena is located in downtown Miami,
Florida,
along Biscayne Bay and is home to the Miami Heat. It was constructed
as a replacement for the Miami Arena and was designed by the architecture
firms Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture. Check the Miami,
FL - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers - Cleveland, OH - 19,326
Venue: Quicken Loans Arena (aka "The Q") is a multipurpose
arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
Until August 2005, it was known as Gund Arena, named for Gordon Gund,
a former owner of the Cavaliers, after he paid for the naming rights.
It is home to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The arena was opened with
a concert by Billy Joel on October 17, 1994. The Cavaliers played the
first game in the arena a few weeks later. Check the Cleveland,
OH - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
6. New York Knicks - New York, NY - 18,931
Venue: Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially
simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York
City, NY.
It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and is the home
of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers (NHL), New York
Liberty (WNBA), and New York Titans (NLL). The present arena
is informally known to some by the advertising slogan "The World's
Most Famous Arena". Check the New
York, NY - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
7. Los Angeles Lakers - Los Angeles, CA - 18,882
Venue: Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in Downtown Los
Angeles in the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District.
It is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex.
Staples Center was financed privately at a cost of $375 million and is
named for the Staples office-supply company, one of the center's corporate
sponsors that paid for naming rights. It is home to the Los Angeles
Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Los Angeles Sparks
(WNBA), Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Avengers (AFL),
and Los Angeles D-Fenders (D-League). Check the Los
Angeles, CA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
8. San Antonio Spurs - San Antonio, TX - 18,797
Venue: The AT&T Center is an indoor arena located in San Antonio,
Texas .
It was completed in 2002 as the SBC Center at a cost of $186 million,
financed by a local sales tax. The arena is home to the San Antonio
Spurs, the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the winter-spring,
the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA in the summer, and the
annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo held in February. It
seats 18,500 for basketball and 13,000 for hockey, and contains 50 luxury
suites. Check the San
Antonio, TX - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
9. Utah Jazz - Salt Lake City, UT - 18,332
Venue: The EnergySolutions Arena is an indoor arena in Salt Lake City,
Utah, owned
by Larry H. Miller. The arena seats 19,911 for basketball, has 56 luxury
suites, and 668 club seats. Opened in 1991, the Arena was known as the
Delta Center until EnergySolutions purchased the naming rights, effective
Nov. 20, 2006. The EnergySolutions Arena is the home of the Utah Jazz,
and the Arena Football League's Utah Blaze. The arena was also
home to the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions
of the 2002 Winter Olympics (during the Olympics, the arena was referred
to as the Salt Lake Ice Center). Check the Salt
Lake City, UT - Online Yellow Pages for more information about
the city.
10. Golden State Warriors - Oakland, CA - 18,273
Venue: The Oracle Arena, also known by its former name of The Arena
in Oakland, is an indoor arena. It was originally constructed as the
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena in 1966. Over the years though,
the arena became increasingly outdated, lacking the luxuries of newer
ones. Rather than building a new arena in Oakland — or, for
that matter, in San
Francisco or San
Jose, as some wanted — the decision was made to proceed with
a $121 million renovation that tore down much of the old arena, leaving
the external walls, roof and foundation, along with a few other features,
intact, and then building a new seating bowl.. The renovation began in
mid-1996 and was completed in time for the Golden State Warriors to return
in the fall of 1997. The new arena seats 19,596 for basketball and 17,000
for ice hockey. Check the Oakland,
CA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
11. New Orleans Hornets - New Orleans, LA/Oklahoma City, OK - 18,168
Venue: The New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena, and is located
in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Louisiana
Superdome. It has been home to the New Orleans Hornets since 2002,
and is also home to some Tulane University basketball games as well. The
arena seats 18,000 for basketball and 16,500 for arena football and has
56 luxury suites. Check the New
Orleans, LA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
The team also played in The Ford Center, a multipurpose indoor sports/concert
arena located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Attendance for Hornets games at the Ford Center averaged 18,716 in 2005-06
(36 games) and 17,951 (35 games) in 2006-2007. Check the Oklahoma
City, OK - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
12. Phoenix Suns - Phoenix, AZ - 17,809
Venue: US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and
entertainment facility located in Phoenix, Arizona.
It has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride. The arena,
which is situated down the street from Chase Field, is named after its
sponsor, US Airways, under a naming rights arrangement. It is home to
the Phoenix Suns, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the AFL's
Arizona
Rattlers, and the ECHL's Phoenix Roadrunners. Check the Phoenix,
AZ - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
13. Los Angeles Clippers - Los Angeles, CA - 17,375
Venue: Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in downtown Los
Angeles, California
in the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. It is located
next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex. Staples Center
was financed privately at a cost of $375 million and is named for the
Staples office-supply company, one of the center's corporate sponsors
that paid for naming rights. It is home to the Los Angeles Lakers,
Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), Los
Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Avengers (AFL), and Los
Angeles D-Fenders (D-League). Check the Los
Angeles, CA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the
city.
14. Sacramento Kings - Sacramento, CA - 17,317
Venue: ARCO Arena is an indoor arena located in Sacramento, California.
After playing in the makeshift facility called the Original ARCO Arena,
this version was completed in 1988, at a cost of $40 million - entirely
privately financed. It is home to the Sacramento Kings and the
WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. The arena seats 17,317 for basketball,
and has 30 luxury suites and 412 club seats. Check the Sacramento,
CA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
15. Denver Nuggets - Denver, CO - 17,135
Venue: The Pepsi Center is an arena located in Denver. The building
is home to the Colorado
Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Mammoth and Colorado
Crush. When not in use by one of Denver's sports teams, the building
frequently serves as a concert venue. The Pepsi Center is scheduled to
be the venue of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Check the Denver,
CO - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
16. Washington Wizards - Washington, DC - 17,122
Venue: The Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington,
DC,
named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications. The name
of the arena was previously MCI Center, but when MCI was acquired by Verizon,
the name was changed to "Verizon Center" effective March 5,
2006. The arena has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because
of its association with telecommunications companies. It is home to the
Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals of the NHL, Washington
Mystics of the WNBA, and Georgetown University basketball. Check the
Washington,
DC - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
17. Toronto Raptors - Toronto, Ontario - 17,054
Venue: The Air Canada Center, often referred to simply as The ACC, is
a multipurpose arena located on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario.
It is the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey
League, the Toronto Raptors, and the Toronto Rock of the
National Lacrosse League.
18. Boston Celtics - Boston, MA - 16,890
Venue: TD Banknorth Garden is a sports arena in the North End neighborhood
of Boston, Massachusetts.
It is named after its sponsor, TD Banknorth, and is often called simply
the Garden, or the traditional Boston Garden and formerly known
as the FleetCenter and the Shawmut Center. It is the home arena for the
Boston Bruins, an NHL team, and the Boston Celtics. Check
the Boston,
MA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
19. New Jersey Nets - East Rutherford, NJ - 16,866
Venue: Continental Airlines Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in the
Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford. It is home to the
New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team.
Official seating capacity as of 2004 is 19,040 for hockey; 20,029 for
college basketball; 20,049 for NBA games; and a maximum 20,000 for concerts.
The arena attracts spectators and fans from much of the New
York Metropolitan Area and not just New
Jersey. Check the East
Rutherford, NJ - Online Yellow Pages for more information about
the city..
20. Milwaukee Bucks - Milwaukee, WI - 16,617
Venue: The Bradley Center is an indoor arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It is home to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Milwaukee Admirals
of the AHL (and formerly of the IHL) and the Marquette University men's
basketball team. Check the Milwaukee,
WI - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
21. Philadelphia 76ers - Philadelphia, PA - 16,518
Venue: The Wachovia Center (formerly known as the CoreStates Center and
the First Union Center, and nicknamed The Big House, The F.U. Center,
and The Loud House by Philadelphia sports fans) is an indoor arena
located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It is the home arena of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL and
the Philadelphia 76ers. The arena was completed in 1996 on what
was once the site of John F. Kennedy Stadium at a cost of $206 million.
Check the Philadelphia,
PA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
22. Charlotte Bobcats - Charlotte, NC - 16,366
Venue: Charlotte Bobcats Arena (also known locally as The Uptown
Arena or The CBA and for hockey uses, St. Lawrence Homes Home Ice) is
an 18,500-seat entertainment and sports venue located in the Uptown area
of Charlotte, North
Carolina. Its primary use is as the home court of the Charlotte
Bobcats. The arena made its grand opening in October of 2005 for a
concert by The Rolling Stones and hosted its first Bobcats game on November
5, 2005. Check the Charlotte,
NC - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
23. Seattle Supersonics - Seattle, WA - 16,198
Venue: KeyArena at Seattle Center is located north of downtown Seattle,
Washington,
on the grounds of Seattle Center (the site of 1962's Century 21 Exposition,
a World's Fair). The arena's primary tenants are the Seattle SuperSonics.
It hosted the 1974 NBA All-Star Game. Check the Seattle,
WA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
24. Indiana Pacers - Indianapolis, IN - 16,179
Venue: Conseco Fieldhouse is a sports arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
It is the home of the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever
of the WNBA. The name is a result of the naming rights to the venue being
sold to Conseco, the financially troubled financial services organization
based in nearby Carmel.
Check the Indianapolis,
IN - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
25. Minnesota Timberwolves - Minneapolis, MN - 15,808
Venue: The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota,
sponsored by Target Corporation that is home to the Minnesota Timberwolves
and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. The Timberwolves originally built
and owned the arena in 1990. Check the Minneapolis,
MN - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
26. Memphis Grizzlies - Memphis, TN - 15,793
Venue: FedExForum is one of the most unique arenas in the NBA. It officially
opened in September of 2004, after much debate and also an Alberta clipper
windstorm in July 2003 that nearly brought the cranes building the arena
down on famed Beale Street. It is in the southern part of downtown Memphis,
Tennessee
at 191 Beale Street and Third Street. The arena is home to the Memphis
Grizzlies and the men's basketball program of the University of Memphis.
Check the Memphis,
TN - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
27. Orlando Magic - Orlando, FL - 15,561
Venue: Amway Arena (formerly known as the Orlando Arena, TD Waterhouse
Center, and The Arena in Orlando, and colloquially known by the
nickname of O-Rena) is an indoor arena in Orlando, Florida.
It is part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment
complex located in the downtown area. The arena is home to the Orlando
Magic, Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League and beginning
in Fall 2007, the arena will also be home to the Orlando Sharks
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Check the Orlando,
FL - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
28. Houston Rockets - Houston, TX - 15,514
Venue: The Toyota Center is a sports venue located at 1510 Polk Street
in downtown Houston, Texas.
Named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota, the Toyota Center
houses three sports teams: The Houston Rockets, the Houston
Aeros of the AHL and the Houston Comets of the WNBA. Check
the Houston,
TX - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
29. Atlanta Hawks - Atlanta, GA - 15,068
Venue: The Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Completed in 1999 at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta
Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL and Arena Football League's
Georgia Force. It is owned and operated by Atlanta Spirit,
LLC, the group of investors that also owns the Hawks and Thrashers. The
arena seats 20,300 for basketball and 18,750 for ice hockey. It includes
96 luxury suites and 2,100 club seats. Check the Atlanta,
GA - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
30. Portland Trailblazers - Portland, OR - 15,053
Venue: The Rose Garden Arena is the main indoor sports arena in Portland,
Oregon.
It is owned by Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, a holding company owned
by Paul Allen, and is currently managed by Global Spectrum, a company
which manages sports facilities (and which also owns several sports franchises).
The primary tenant is the Portland Trail Blazers, also owned by
Allen. The arena opened on October 12, 1995. Check the Portland,
OR - Online Yellow Pages for more information about the city.
|