• No. 1: A sky hook for the history books

  Rob Miech · Nov. 21, 2008 · 12:00 AM

  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar caught Chamberlain on April 5, 1984, barely six months after the Thomas & Mack Center had opened. Improbably, the Los Angeles Lakers and Abdul-Jabbar were playing against Utah in a Las Vegas “home” game for the Jazz. A crowd of 18,389 – mostly Lakers fans – gathered to witness history.




• Thomas & Mack: Celebrating 25 years

  

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  A look at The Thomas and Mack Center and some of the events it has hosted in its 25-year history.

• Thomas & Mack Center

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  Take a behind the scenes look at the Thomas & Mack Center as the arena on UNLV's campus celebrates its 25th anniversary »




• Thomas & Mack, Part I

  Jerry Tarkanian · Oct. 31, 2008 · 5:50 PM

  That is one heck of an arena. I don’t remember the exhibition game against the University of Victoria, the first game in the building. Or the season opener, a 92-71 victory over Reno. But I do remember the third game in the Mack, an 86-72 win over West Virginia. My good friend Gale Catlett coached that team and they were pretty tough.

• Thomas & Mack, Part II

  Jerry Tarkanian · Nov. 3, 2008 · 11:10 PM

  The funny thing is that I never cared about an arena. I was happy at Riverside City College when we played inside Riverside Poly High’s gym. I was happy with that. I’m not into how nice a facility is to play in. I’d rather have good players than a nice gym.

• Memories plentiful for Mack and me

  Ron Kantowski · Oct. 29, 2008 · 2:00 AM

  Obviously, if you live here, you have probably seen a basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center. And if you've seen a basketball game there, you know what makes it special

See all Thomas & Mack 25th Anniversary stories

Reader Poll

What's your favorite event to attend at Thomas & Mack?

UNLV basketball games
Concerts
Rodeos
Boxing/MMA bouts
Family Events

or see results without voting.

Thomas & Mack Facts

Seating Capacity: 18,500 (Basketball); 19,522 (Boxing)

Construction Cost: Nearly $30 million

Floor-To-Ceiling Height: 104 feet

Concourse Square Feet: 42,000

Floor Square Feet (Bleachers Extended): 8,600

Floor Square Feet (Bleachers Retracted): 20,000

Floor lighting: Evenly illuminated with 350 foot candles of metal Halide lighting.

Cooling system: 1,175 tons of air conditioning

VIP luxury suites: 30

Thomas & Mack Facts

Seating Capacity: 18,500 (Basketball); 19,522 (Boxing)

Construction Cost: Nearly $30 million

Floor-To-Ceiling Height: 104 feet

Concourse Square Feet: 42,000

Floor Square Feet (Bleachers Extended): 8,600

Floor Square Feet (Bleachers Retracted): 20,000

Floor lighting: Evenly illuminated with 350 foot candles of metal Halide lighting.

Cooling system: 1,175 tons of air conditioning

VIP luxury suites: 30

Top 25 Countdown

• No. 1: Sky hook for record books

• No. 2: Capping off a dream season

• No. 3: NFR is T & M’s cash cow

• No. 4: U2 plays 9/11 tribute show

• No. 5: Rebels ship Navy home

• No. 6: Team USA calls Vegas home

• No. 7: NBA playoffs shift to the Mack amidst L.A. riots

• No. 8: Tark bids farewell to faithful

• No. 9: Thunder shakes the Mack

• No. 10: Holyfield, Lewis set record

• No. 11: Vegas hosts All-Star game

• No. 12: Country star sets record

• No. 13: NBA finds a summer home

• No. 14: Legendary fighters highlight first UFC show

• No. 15: Ol’ Blue Eyes plays Mack

• No. 16: Big George wins battle

• No. 17: The Boss makes 'em scream

• No. 18: Tark back at Mack

• No. 19: Phish fans out in force

• No. 20: ‘Trotting’ in family entertainment

• No. 21: The Mack ‘Smackdown’

• No. 22: Talking politics

• No. 23: Fade pattern

• No. 24: Pavarotti plays the Mack

• No. 25: Let's play two

Event Archive

• Click to see a PDF for every event held at the Thomas & Mack Center.