Review by Michael Kimmelman: ..."But crowd circulation is smooth, and the steeply raked seats, accommodating up to 18,000 fans, provide excellent sightlines for basketball, even from the nosebleed sections. The black-box vibe, with its gray-and-eggplant palette and terrazzo concourse, distinguishes it from Madison Square Garden, exuding a sophisticated chill, warmed by an eager, Disney-trained staff."
"That the center, like every other sports arena, serves both inside and out as a giant billboard for corporate naming opportunities (my favorite: the Calvin Klein V.I.P. Entrance) deserves mention because naming rights and other financial gains from the arena should be factored into the subsidized housing equation that remains one of the major obligations made by the developer, Bruce C. Ratner."
