Sleep Train Arena
The smallest arena in the NBA that hosted nearly 200 events a year and the debut of LeBron James.
Sleep Train Arena was a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Sacramento, California. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1988 to 2016. The arena was known as ARCO Arena from its opening until 2011, then as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012, and finally as Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until 2022. It hosted nearly 200 spectator events each year and was the smallest arena in the NBA with a seating capacity of 17,317.
- Opened
- 1988
- Location
- Sacramento, California
- Former Name
- ARCO Arena
- Years of Service
- 1988–2016
- Status
- Demolished 2022
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The arena was never intended to be a long-term facility, lacking amenities like digital signage and spacious locker rooms. LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, made his career regular season debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the arena on October 29, 2003, scoring 25 points in a loss to the Kings. The last Kings home game at Sleep Train Arena was on April 9, 2016, a 114–112 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the last points being two free throws by Rudy Gay with one second left. The last ticketed event was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on September 19, 2016, which also opened the arena in 1988. The arena set a Guinness World Record for loudest sports roar by reaching 126 decibels on November 15, 2013.
In Their Own Story
The arena's center-hung scoreboard was a joint venture between Panasonic and White Way Sign, originally with four LCD video screens and upgraded in 1991 to show stats for five players per team. The original video screens were replaced a decade later with Panasonic Astrovision LED video screens. The arena hosted the 1993 Royal Rumble, Judgment Day 2001, and The Bash in 2009 for WWE. It also hosted four UFC events: UFC 65, UFC 73, UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2, and UFC 177. The configuration for ice shows and ice hockey ran perpendicular to the basketball court, with retractable sideline seating to allow for an international standard ice rink.
Reader's Guide
The arena was located in a once isolated area on the expanding northern outskirts of Sacramento. It was constructed at a cost of just $40 million, the lowest of any venue in the NBA. It had 30 luxury suites and 412 club seats. The arena hosted such varied events as concerts, ice shows, rodeos, monster truck rallies, and high school basketball championship games. It also hosted NCAA men's basketball tournaments multiple times and the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championships. The arena hosted a PBR Built Ford Tough Series bull riding event every year from 2005 to 2016. In April 2020, state health officials announced that Sleep Train Arena would be converted into a temporary hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, the site was donated to California Northstate University for a medical school and hospital. The final event at the arena was a free farewell event on March 19, 2022, reverting to the original ARCO Arena name. Demolition began on August 9, 2022, and was completed in October 2022.
Did You Know?
- The arena was constructed at a cost of just $40 million, the lowest of any venue in the NBA.
- LeBron James made his NBA regular season debut at this arena on October 29, 2003.
- The arena set a Guinness World Record for loudest sports roar at 126 decibels on November 15, 2013.
- The last points scored in the arena were two free throws by Rudy Gay with one second left on April 9, 2016.
- The arena was converted into a temporary hospital in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.