City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Spectator Sports

Address: 300 San Pedro NE

Description: The Albuquerque Thunderbirds D-League (NBA Development League) is an affiliate of the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks in 2009. The T-Birds play at the Tingley Coliseum from November to April, and this is the place to see future NBA stars. In 2006, their first year in Albuquerque, the team won the D-League Championship game over the Fort Worth Flyers. In the 2008–09 season, the Thunderbirds had the leading scorer in the league, Will Conroy, and the New York Knicks signed Thunderbirds player Mouhamed Sene. You could also see Dallas and Miami players here, sent from the affiliates. In the intimate space of Tingley Coliseum, spectators are close to the action, and the players make a good job of mingling with the crowd. Ticket prices start at around $5, which is a pretty good deal for professional NBA basketball. As Head Coach John Coffino says, “You can’t get a movie ticket for that.”