The city of Philadelphia has earned a reputation for being one of the best sports cities in the country. Just this week, retiring Eagles center Jason Kelce called it the “the most passionate sports town in America.”
The city has seen the thrill of victory and plenty of defeat over the years in our current stadiums and those that have fallen prey to the wrecking ball. And as debate rages over where the future of professional basketball will be played in the coming years, one site has stood the test of time. Among all the hallowed sports venues in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, the Palestra stands for many as the greatest of all.
Known as the “Cathedral of College Basketball,” construction of the Palestra was completed in 1927. The venue, located at 33rd and Spruce Streets on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, has hosted more college basketball games than any other arena in the country and is the oldest college arena still in use today. The Palestra seats approximately 8,700 people, but as many as 10,000 have backed into the arena to watch some great basketball. Over the years, this historic arena has been the site of numerous memorable basketball moments for high school phenoms Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who played there before becoming NBA legends.
Currently, the Palestra plays host to University of Penn home games and Big Five Games featuring UPenn, La Salle University, Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University, and Villanova University.
Inside of the sacred arena, a sign captures the essence of the Palestra: “To win the game is great. To play the game is greater. But to love the game is the greatest of all.”
To get you in the mood for March Madness with Philadelphia’s rich basketball tradition, here’s a look back at the best games ever played at the Palestra
First College Basketball Game at the Palestra (1927)
On New Year’s Day 1927, the first college basketball game was played at the Palestra when Penn took on Ivy League rival Yale in front of 9,000 cheering fans. At the time, that was the largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game that Philadelphia.
Basketball was a much different sport back then, as evidenced by the low-scoring affair. The Quakers were victorious over the Bulldogs by a score of just 26-15, with forward Paul “Pudge” Davenport leading the way with 11 points. Ticket prices were much different then, too. Admission for that first game was only 55 cents.
St. Joe’s vs. Bowling Green (1962)
Fast forward nearly 40 years and you’d find Philadelphia native Dr. Jack Ramsay coaching St. Joes in a nail-biter of an upset of Bowling Green, which ranked third at the time.
For Bowling Green, the matchup included future Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond and Butch Komives who went on to have a 10-year career. St. Joe’s Jim Lynam, who eventually coach the Sixers, got the ball to Jim Boyle who made the last-second shot, defeating the Falcons 58-57 in the first round of the Quaker City tournament.
La Salle vs. Villanova (1969)
Just a few years later, a classic Big Five match up pitted Villinova against La Salle, with both ranked in the top-10 in the nation, in an epic contest. Led by their stars, Villanova’s Howard Porter and La Salle’s Ken Durrett, fans at the Palestra were treated to a show. Porter was incredible but the Explorers were victorious by a score of 74-67.
Temple Defeats Villanova In Double OT Thriller (2002)
Widely considered the best game played on the Palestra floor, Temple defeated St. Joe’s, 87-84, in a double-overtime thriller that was nationally televised on ESPN in March 2002. Led by Lynn Greer’s game-high 36 points, the Owls got the win over Jameer Nelson and the Hawks. In front of a capacity crowd, it is hard to imagine a better game played at the Palestra.
Inaugural Ivy League Tournament (2017)
For years, the tradition of the Ivy League was that the champion of both men’s and women’s basketball was the team with the best regular season record. In 2017, the Ivy League instituted the first-ever Ivy League basketball men’s and women’s tournaments with the winners earning an automatic place in the NCAA tournament. And of course, the Palestra was the best choice to host the festivities.
In the inaugural post-season tournament, Princeton defeated Yale to win the first Ivy League championship.
Penn Snaps Villanova’s Win Streak (2018)
Under coach Jay Wright, Villanova had become the class of the Big 5, winning 25 straight games in the league since 2012 with a win over Penn.
Six years later on Dec. 11, 2018, Penn exorcized their demons and pulled off a major upset by defeating Villanova 78-75. For the Quakers, AJ Brodeur and Antonio Woods posted 16 points each. Villanova had an opportunity to tie the game with a last-second three-point attempt, but it didn’t go in as the excited Penn students ran on the floor of Palestra.
Local basketball fans will be relegated to watching NCAA tournament action on TV until 2026, when the Wells Fargo Center will host games in the first and second rounds.
