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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Clippers unveiled Thursday the first renditions of the lavish arena complex they hope to build at Inglewood.
While significant hurdles remain, the Clippers hope to pave the way for 2021 with an 18,500-seat arena and a surrounding 26-acre and $ 1-billion development project. They hope to be finished by 2024, when their lease expires at Staples Center.
The team says the complex will be fully funded by owner Steve Ballmer and will not require any public funding or additional public infrastructure. Microsoft's billionaire is the richest owner of American team sports and Ballmer said he wanted his "Clippers to have the best home of all sports".
"This means for me an unparalleled environment for players, fans, sponsors and the Inglewood community," Ballmer said in a statement. "Our goal is to build an installation that meets fans' expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we call our home."
"Our goal is to build an installation that meets fans' expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we call our home." – @Steven_Ballmer pic.twitter.com/PwQeyNcUDi
– THE Clippers (@LAClippers) July 26, 2019
The Clippers hope to build their arena right in front of the multi-billion dollar football stadium complex nearing completion. Billionaire Stan Kroenke is building this project, which will house his Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers when it opens next year.
The Clippers Arena would also be less than a kilometer from the Forum. The former Lakers' home has been transformed by the Madison Square Garden Company into a thriving venue for concerts and sports. Last year, MSG sued Inglewood, alleging fraud and breach of contract over the city's interest in allowing the Clippers to build an apparent rival arena just down the street.
Ballmer, who bought the Clippers in 2014, told The Los Angeles Times that he "was not backing away" from the MSG litigation. "We will continue."
Renders from the proposed arena reveal a striking roof with diamond shaped metal panels designed to resemble a basketball net crossing a net. Designers design indoor-outdoor garden areas, a concert area and a great place for game viewing.
The project would also house a training complex as well as the team's business and basketball offices. The Clippers still coach in a Playa Vista facility owned by former team owner, Donald Sterling, and their offices are located in downtown Los Angeles.
The Clippers want a new home, largely because they are third in the unofficial hierarchy of the busy Staples Center, which opened in 1999 in the downtown core. Even after eight consecutive winning seasons, the Clippers are struggling to find a place behind the colossal Lakers and the NHL. Los Angeles Kings, who belong to the same entertainment group as the one who owns the building.
Their third-team status probably harms Clippers' revenue and sponsorship opportunities, and perpetuates the declining perception of the previously struggling franchise as a secondary team in their own city. Ballmer is looking forward to a new state-of-the-art home, another jewel of the Clippers' remarkable renaissance since coming to power.
The Clippers unveiled the first look at their proposed complex one day after the presentation of superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who agreed to return to their native Southern California earlier in the month.
The Clippers will likely position themselves as championship contenders over the coming year, further burying the franchise's reputation in the pound sterling era as losers.
Coach Doc Rivers and veteran leader Jerry West have built a consistent winner during Ballmer's tenure, and are in a position to be even better in the years to come. While they still follow the extremely popular Lakers in overall local support, a rival team at the championship and a sparkling new arena would make the old image of this franchise largely unrecognizable.
"It sounds more like a movement for me, it's really the case," said Rivers after Leonard and George were presented Wednesday.
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