According to the Sentinel, what separates MSG from the rest of the arenas is its rich sports history. “Madison Square Garden’s history is unparalleled among NBA arenas. It was the site of injured Willis Reed’s famous entrance before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier staged one of their three epic bouts there. Reggie Miller led a mammoth Indiana Pacers comeback in the final seconds of Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals there.”
Even Kobe Bryant has a penchant for playing in the Mecca of Basketball; Bryant set the Madison Square Garden record for most point in a single game with 61 back in 2009.
As for Staples Center, the Sentinel claimed that the arena sometimes takes away from the fun of watching a basketball game. “Star-watching at Lakers games is fun, but that sometimes can take away from the game itself.”
It is quite difficult to beat Madison Square Garden in any “Top Ten” list, it is nicknamed “The World’s Most Famous Arena” for a reason.