My first NBA game was at Crypto.com Arena, which really threw me, because I thought the Clippers and Lakers both played at Staples Center. It turns out that Staples gave up the naming rights, so it is the same venue, with a different name.
The venue is nice, but the food options were very limited. I began the game in the upper level, where the food options were limited to three items (excluding popcorn and candy); a hot dog, nachos and a Caesar salad. The hot dog was $12. On the lower level there were a few more choices, but not very many.
The area around the arena is very nice, even if it is in downtown Los Angeles. There are a number of entertainment venues and places to eat, much like Texas Live! in Arlington next to the stadiums.
The game itself was rather lackluster. Minnesota got off to an early lead, and never gave it up. The seat was fine; near center court but up very high. However the arena was only about half full, so at half time I moved down to the lower level, again near center court. It makes a big difference being lower, as you can then actually see the size of the players.
The one thing I noticed was the banners in the rafters. They were only for the Clippers and the Los Angeles Kings; nothing for the Lakers. It made me wonder if they switch them out. Maybe they do not put up banners for the Lakers because there is just not enough space for all of their championships and Hall of Fame players.
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