- LeBron James revealed on Instagram what’s his favorite arena to play basketball at
- LeBron has played for the Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers
- None of their arenas are his favorite, however
LeBron James has put on incredible displays at numerous arenas across the world in the last two decades, and his favorite one of the lot is Madison Square Garden. James reacted to some highlights of him playing at MSG by revealing it is his favorite arena to play basketball in.
“My fav place to play ball in the whole world!”
Playing at The Garden is indeed a special experience for almost every player. The New York Knicks may have been terrible for much of LeBron’s time in the NBA, but playing at MSG, the “Mecca of Basketball,” remains very special for him.
LeBron James Has Dominated At MSG
LeBron has had his way with the Knicks in his career, and the 38-year-old has quite a formidable 21-8 record at MSG. The latest win came this past season, when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Knicks 129-123 in overtime on January 31, 2023.
LeBron had a triple-double in that win, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal. For his career, he now averages 28.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game at the Garden.
His first stint in Cleveland, in particular, saw some outrageous displays at MSG. He had 50 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals in a 119-105 win on March 5, 2008, and the following year, he was somehow even better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGtseHPaJXg
LeBron exploded for 52 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks on February 4, 2009, as the Cavaliers recorded a narrow 107-102 win. While scoring displays like these may no longer be on the cards, we can expect another terrific performance if the 19-time All-Star does play at MSG when the Lakers visit the Knicks on February 3, 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viL2x9ZQt9w
Michael Jordan Spoke About Why Playing At Madison Square Garden Was Special
MSG holds a special place in the heart of one Michael Jordan as well. Just like LeBron, Jordan had many incredible showings at MSG, with his 55-point outing in 1995 being one of the most iconic displays of his storied career. Jordan said playing at MSG was special, as real basketball players were shown respect there.
“I have always liked Madison Square Garden, even when I was in college when we played St John’s or some of the games that we played. It has always been an area or a place where basketball enthusiasts could notice a fake basketball player. If you’re a real basketball player, they honor that, they show respect for that. If you (are) just a hype, you can’t fool them and they’ll see it. It is like stepping on the stage with an act and people can see that it’s an act or they can see that if it’s talent, so that’s the way I’ve always perceived Madison Square Garden.”
Safe to say, the crowd at MSG realized fairly quickly that Jordan was the real deal. He tormented the Knicks for so many years and is a big reason why the franchise failed to win a title despite being one of the better teams in the league in the 1990s.
Jordan and the Bulls beat them in the playoffs in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996, and they’d honestly have been sick of him. Their only series win against Chicago in those years came in 1994, during Jordan’s first retirement.
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