American Airlines Arena
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Note: For the arena in Dallas, Texas, see American Airlines Center.
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The American Airlines Arena is an arena located in downtown Miami, Florida along Biscayne Bay and is used for basketball games and concerts. It was constructed as a replacement for the Miami Arena.
The American Airlines Arena is home to the Miami Heat of the NBA.
The WNBA team Miami Sol played at the stadium from the team's birth in 2000 to the team's death in 2002.
History
In November 1998, construction of the new arena was delayed following a fire in the upper section of the facility. On December 31, 1999, the American Airlines Arena opened. The first event was a Gloria Estefan concert. Three days later, on January 2, 2000, the Miami Heat played their first game in the new arena.
The Miami Sol, a WNBA women's basketball team, began play at the American Airlines Arena in 2000, but the team was folded by the WNBA following the 2002 season.
Other notes
- As part of its sponsorship arrangement, American Airlines had a giant aircraft painted on top of the arena's roof, with an American Airlines logo in the center. The design is visible from airplanes taking off and landing at Miami International Airport, where American has a hub. The arena also has luxury skyboxes called "Flagship Lounges," a trademark originally used for American's premium-class lounges at certain airports.
- The arena was the setting for the highly publicized 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. The event brought millions of dollars into the Miami-Dade County economy.
- Local sportscasters often refer to the arena as the "triple-A."
- The arena is known for its unusual scoreboard, which changes colors depending on the atmosphere.
- The American Airlines Arena is not to be confused with American Airlines Center, which is located in Dallas, Texas.