With less than a month remaining until a new OKC arena proposal gets voted on by local residents, HoopsHype recently conducted a media poll to rank all 29 NBA arenas.
The criteria involved variables such as the crowd atmosphere and energy, the quality of the arena, culinary offerings and lighting.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paycom Center surprisingly was ranked as the 19th-best arena by the 35-member media survey. That is an interesting result considering it could soon be replaced.
The 21-year-old arena garnered 18.1% of maximum allowed votes. It also received one fourth-place vote in the poll.
The Thunder look to get a new arena; their lease with Paycom Center ends in 2026. The current arena proposal, which is pending voter approval, includes a $900 million construction cost. Thunder ownership will chip in $50 million.
A new arena will secure the Thunder’s future in OKC beyond 2050 via a 25-year lease. It is planned to open by the 2029-30 season at the latest.
An citywide vote will take place on Dec. 12 that will determine whether or the current one-cent sales tax that would largely fund the new arena will be extended.
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