Never tweet.
That advice has been around since the dawn of Twitter. Failing that, don’t make fun of the Sacramento Kings, who have a very online fanbase that are ready to jump to their city’s defense.
The squabble started Monday, possibly when Kings fan Tim Maxwell made fun of Detroit while lauding Sacramento rookie Keegan Murray for winning Summer League MVP. Detroit fans swarmed in defense of their often-ridiculed city.
Detroit Pistons beat writer James Edwards III threw caution to the wind Monday, tweeting that, “every nba writer in the country will tell you that downtown Sacramento is the second worst city in the nba circuit. It’s dreadful.”
At the behest of a Kings fan, Sacramento TV announcer Mark Jones leaped into the fray.
“Homeboy is hangin round the wrong people,” he tweeted. “I’ve been covering the NBA for 32 years on a NATIONAL level. I’ve been to every NBA city multiple times. I’ve NEVER heard Sacramento described that way. I always had a great time in SAC as a visitor.”
After that exchange, Detroit supporters began lambasting Sacramento with the usual jibes, comparing it to a cow pasture and mocking the airport’s location far outside of town.
Predictably, the conversation turned to which NBA cities deserve to be called the worst. Here’s a look at some of the nominees for worst city in the NBA, with pluses and minuses for each.
Houston
Positives: The Toyota Center is one of the nicest arenas in the NBA, with gigantic screens giving fans instant replays from all angles of the arena. Much of the NBA season is in winter, which makes a visit to Houston relatively warm, at the very least.
Negatives: Downtown Houston is worn, with buckled sidewalks and empty parking lots filled with weeds located a block from the stadium. The only restaurant immediately bordering the arena is inside a hotel, as parking structures mostly ring the arena.
Salt Lake
Positives: Salt Lake is nestled right next to the Wasatch Front mountains. From downtown, you can hike up City Creek Canyon and get away from it all while never leaving the city’s borders.
Negatives: There’s a reason NBA players have flat-out refused to accept a trade to the Utah Jazz. The arena is next to a struggling outdoor mall and Salt Lake isn’t exactly known for its wild nightlife (though the nearby Beerhive Pub features an ice rail built into the bar, which is pretty cool, pun intended).
Minneapolis
Positives: You don’t have to go outside to get into the arena. The city has aerial skyways that connect buildings to buildings and parking ramps to the arena. There are clubs and bars aplenty, including First Avenue, the legendary downtown music venue that’s hosted the biggest bands in the world.
Negatives: The weather is so bad that they had to build aerial skyways to connect everything.
Orlando
Positives: At least the weather is nice in January. And the downtown, such as it is, has Lake Eola Park, which is a nice little urban oasis with a few food and drink options.
Negatives: The Amway Center is primarily bordered by interstate highways. There’s very little around the arena for nightlife.
Sacramento
Positives: The weather is delightful, relative to almost every other NBA city, during the season. Bars and restaurants are abundant nearby, including Fizz, the city’s only champagne bar.
Negatives: None to speak of.
Detroit
Positives: Little Ceaser’s Arena is really close to Comerica Park and Ford Field, as the city has made sports arenas the centerpiece of downtown. And there’s an MGM Grand casino around the corner.
Negatives: Too many to count.
Oklahoma City
Positives: The weather is reasonably nice, by NBA standards, and a nifty canal runs through the nearby downtown, with restaurant options and a water taxi to boot.
Negatives: It’s a small town and the barbecue isn’t as good as Texas’ barbecue. Somebody had to say it.
Charlotte
Positives: This might be a surprising entry, but Charlotte’s downtown is primarily a banking hub. There’s good barbecue and a bustling outdoor Christmas market, if you’re visiting near the holidays.
Negatives: They basically roll up the sidewalks after 5 p.m., as the bank workers head for the suburbs. There are pockets of activity but Charlotte is not a wild good time.
