Quickens Loans Arena is ranked as the 4th-best arena in the NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ home, Quicken Loans Arena, is one of the top arenas in the NBA.

According to Paul Swaney of Stadium Journey, the Cleveland Cavaliers have the fourth-best arena in the NBA, Quicken Loans Arena.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ Moda Center came in at the top spot, the Boston Celtics’ TD Garden holds the spot for second and the Dallas Mavericks’ American Airline Center came in at third.

Here’s what Swaney had to say about Quickens Loans Arena and why it’s one of the best arenas in the NBA:

"The combination of the Cavaliers’ success on the court with progressive arena leadership makes for a stellar game experience. Quicken Loans Arena is more than two decades old, but has undergone major renovations over the years that have made the space feel incredibly modern. Cleveland, as a whole, is a city on the upswing and if you have the opportunity to visit, including a Cavs game would be well worth your time and money."

In 2005, when current owner Dan Gilbert purchased the Cleveland Cavaliers, his ownership group funded extensive renovations for The Q. In 2003, when LeBron James was drafted, the Cavs went from Michael Jordan’s punching bag to the team with the next Jordan. After James re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, following four years with the Miami Heat from 2010-2014, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ fan base went from being passionate to going berserk.

With James bringing a championship to Cleveland, removing the feeling that there was a championship curse in the city and with his stature and pull of his stardom both on and off-the-court, Cleveland has indeed been “on the upswing”.

Also known as “The Q”, the arena is primarily used by the Cleveland Cavaliers although other Cleveland-based sports teams, such as the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League, also use it. The men’s and women’s basketball teams for the Cleveland State Vikings use The Q as a secondary arena.

Formerly known as Gund Arena for former Cavs owner Gordon Gund, The Q opened in 1994 and replaced the Richfield Coliseum (made famous for the “Miracle at Richfield), as the Cleveland Cavaliers home arena.

Brandon Gee, a regional correspondent of Stadium Journey, gave The Q five-star marks for its expansive cuisine options, atmosphere, surrounding entertainment, fans and the level of satisfaction fans should have after attending a game.

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He also gave The Q a four-star mark for its architecture and a three-star mark for its accessibility.

Luckily, the Q is expected to undergo major renovations after the arena reached an agreement with Cuyahoga County in $140 million in funding for renovations. You can look at a photo gallery featuring the expected renovations here at The Q’s arena renovation website.

Thanks to Cleveland.com, you can get a list of the renovations here. It includes a new glass facade at the north entrance, enclosed staircase leading into The Q and a new entrance.

In an effort to bring an All-Star game to Cleveland, Gilbert is looking to modernize the architecture and improve the ease of access for fans. Last year, commissioner Adam Silver had this to say about the possibility of the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the All-Star game in their home arena according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes (formerly Cleveland.com):

"“They’ve expressed interest in it and we’re waiting for them to get the additional work done on the building,” Silver told Northeast Ohio Media Group during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.“We’re very excited about returning to Cleveland at some point for an All-Star game,” Silver said. “We know [Cavaliers’ owner] Dan Gilbert would very much like it to happen and I think it’s just a function of when. Making sure that the timing is right in terms of the upgrades to the building.”“It really comes down to when are the upgrades going to made to the arena,” Silver reiterated.“It’s a wonderful city to be in,” he said. “One of my sisters lives in Cleveland. I love the market. I think there’s no doubt we’ll be back there for an All-Star game.”"

The Cleveland Cavaliers can host an All-Star game as early as 2020.

It’s interesting to note the arena ranked one spot below The Q on Stadium Journey’s list. The Toronto Raptors’ Air Canada Centre. This is (part of) what Swaney had to say about the Raptors’ stadium:

"“It seems that all that may be standing in the way of Raptors elite level status is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully the Raptors won’t end up like the Atlanta Hawks that had great teams that could just never get past Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls."

Well, about that.

James’ status as this generation’s Jordan is part of The Q’s draw.

What do you think about the Cleveland Cavaliers having one of the best stadiums in the NBA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.