New Orleans Pelicans: Smoothie King Center Ranked High On NBA Arenas List In New Review Survey

The home of the New Orleans Pelicans ranked well against other NBA arenas.

Apr 20, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed aerial view of the Smoothie King Center before the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Brooklyn Nets at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

A new aggregate review survey recently published a top-rated list of the best stadiums across the NFL, NBA, and MLB. The Smoothie King Center ranked No. 34 across the three major sports. Among NBA arenas, the home of the New Orleans Pelicans was the seventh-highest-rated arena. The list compiled the average reviews from YELP, Google, Trip Advisor, and Facebook.

every NFL, MLB, and NBA stadium/ball park/arena ranked

(ranked by average review rating on Yelp, Google, Trip Advisor, and Facebook) pic.twitter.com/ffBqetpXpp

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Some reviews highlight the arena being small and that makes every seat a good seat. Others point to the family-friendly atmosphere, along with the friendliness of the staff and cleanliness of the restrooms.

New Orleans has played in the Smoothie King Center since 2002 when it was then known as the New Orleans Arena and the team as the New Orleans Hornets. The arena was built in 1999 for $114 million, and its first sports tenant was the New Orleans Brass from the ECHL minor hockey league.

The Pelicans recently extended their lease at the Smoothie King Center through June 2029. However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver approved a study commission to determine the viability of the Smoothie King Center in the future. In speaking with the Times-Picayune in May 2023, Silver expressed his desire to modernize arenas across the league, regardless of market size.

"That information will be very useful in helping determine what’s best for the team and community. ... Ultimately, every NBA team, regardless of location and market size, needs a model, state-of-the-art arena to compete in the league,” Silver said. “The next step in New Orleans is a detailed study on the long-term viability of the Smoothie King Center.”

Currently, the Smoothie King Center is the smallest capacity seated arena in the league at 16,867. Teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to open their state-of-the-art arenas within the next couple of years. The Milwaukee Bucks, a small market team, built a $1.2 billion arena in 2018 that the Bucks enjoy now.

The future will determine which way the Pelicans go with either renovating or building a new, modernized area. For now, they look to put a quality product on the floor. Head Coach Wille Greens begins his fourth year at the helm this fall and expectations are high for a team that won 49 games last season, the second-most in franchise history.