161 NBA Players Voted On Which Arena Has the Most Passionate Fans. Detroit Didn't Fare Well.

The Athletic, the sports section of The New York Times, took a 2026 anonymous poll of 161 NBA players, who were asked a variety of questions, including which arena has the most passionate fans.

Of 20 arenas around the country, Detroit's Little Caesars Arena was tied for last place with four other teams. TD Garden, home of the Celtics, came in first with 20.5 percent, followed by Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks, with 19.3 percent, and Paycom Center, home of the Thunder, with 18 percent.

Detroit got 1.2 percent of the vote, as did four other arenas.

In a poll of 159 players, Detroit fared better when it came to obnoxious fans, ranking #9 out of 14. The Celtics fans ranked #1, followed by the Philly fans and then the Knicks.

The Athletic had its reporters talk to players from late February to early April and assured them anonymity.

Here's how the arenas ranked for passionate fans, according to The Athletic.