NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The NBA season has tipped off, and that means fans will flood Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center to enjoy the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets play, but are fans safe when visiting those arenas?
A new study by PickWise.com broke down crime statistics in and around all 29 NBA arenas. MSG and Barclays Center were ranked among the safest arenas in the NBA — sort of. Fans ranked MSG as the top arena they are scared to visit, while Barclays ranked fifth out of 29, according to the survey.
The New York Knicks call the iconic MSG their home. However, according to PickWise's survey of 3,000 American basketball fans, around 15% said they would not feel comfortable going to The Garden to watch their team take on the Knicks. Around 9% of those surveyed said they witnessed a crime at or around MSG. Physical violence was the most commonly reported crime, according to PickWise.
When traveling to see the Nets at the Barclays Center, 7% of fans said they would be uncomfortable visiting the Brooklyn arena.
Although opposing fans may feel weary about visiting New York City to watch basketball, the Big Apple was not at the top of the list for women and families uncomfortable going to an NBA game.
According to women who took the survey, the Target Center in Minnesota, the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and the Moda Center in Portland are the most dangerous arenas for women.
Those arenas differ from those that men said are the most dangerous for women. Men who took the survey said that the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, the Delta Center in Salt Lake City and Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., are at the top of that list.
What about the safety of children?
When parents were asked which arena they felt was most dangerous for kids, almost 95% of parents said Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland is unsafe for children; Sacramento and Washington, D.C., were second and third on the list, according to the survey.
PIX11 News reached out to MSG and Barclays Center for a comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in the New York City and Washington D.C. areas. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.