Moda Center Tops The List Of Best Stadium Experiences

With the 2016-17 regular season in the books, Stadium Journey recently compiled a list of the most desirable NBA arenas to visit. The Trail Blazers’ home arena, the Moda Center, claimed the top spot on the list.

The ranking was assembled by compiling the various perks at each venue, such as food & beverage, atmosphere, and neighborhood. The Moda Center received multiple five-star ratings in the process, which led to Stadium Journey’s Paul Swaney saying this about Portland’s impressive atmosphere:

The Blazers are the longest tenured professional team in Portland, and have a huge following. Upon entering the arena, you can't help but notice the history of the Blazer franchise. All around the concourse, you see pictures of players, coaches, and executives alike. Bill Walton's jersey from the 1977 championship team is framed and on display. The Trail Blazer organization takes great pride in their history, and is bold about telling visitors just where they've been. Being the only major league team in the city for many years, the Blazers are still THE game in town.

In regard to Portland’s fans, Stadium Journey’s Paul Hilchen praised the overall intelligence of the spectators inside the Moda Center.

I can't imagine any other fans being more passionate or knowledgeable than Blazer fans. They have a reputation around the league for being such. The concourse, during play, is a ghost town. Everyone is in the arena cheering on the Blazers. Attention to the on the court action is second to none. You don't see the typical "I'm just here with friends because they had an extra ticket" type of attendee. True, hardcore fans, who live and die with the team, are the norm. They are attentive, loud, and respectful - but they don't mind letting you know exactly how they feel.

The energy created inside the Moda Center clearly translates to the product on the court as well. The Blazers finished the regular season nine games above .500 at home, while going a mediocre 16-25 on the road. Although this may be one of Portland’s worse home records in recent years, it was a bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming season and the focal point of Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum’s Players’ Tribune feature late last month:

Like — we don’t have those bandwagon hoops fans in Portland. We don’t have those bougie, not-into-it, wouldn’t-be-caught-dead-in-the-free-t-shirt hoops fans in Portland. We’ve got those pinwheel-tattooed, bleeding-red-and-black, still-rocking-that-Walton-jersey, ride-or-die, realer-than-real hoops fans in Portland. The love is real. The support is real.

And the impact is real.

You can check out the complete rankings by visiting Stadium Journey.