An Inglewood Stadium is exactly what the Clippers need
If you believe Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, his franchise has already been kicking the ass of the Lakers over the past few seasons. Now, that gap might widen as the Clippers could physically distance themselves from their Staples Center co-tenants.
According to multiple reports, the Clippers are going to announce that they are close to finalizing plans for a stadium in Inglewood. The stadium would be 100 percent financed with Ballmer’s money. The proposal is serious enough that the Inglewood City Council will meet to approve the exclusive negotiating agreement.
The arena property is near Century Avenue and Yukon Avenue. It's across the street from the Rams' 298-acre stadium development.
— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) June 14, 2017
This would essentially make Inglewood the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Remember, the Rams and Chargers will call Inglewood home in 2020. Further, in February the Times reported that Ballmer had discussions with Rams owner Stan Kroenke about building an arena near the future NFL stadium.
Previously, it was reported that Clippers did not like being third-wheel at the Staples Center. The team received a smaller share of revenue from suites and luxury boxes. Plus, the Clippers get less favorable game times than the Lakers and Kings. Further, there were talks about Staples Center growing outdated when compared to some of the other new arenas. Don’t expect Ballmer to spare any expense given that his roots at Microsoft.
The Clippers' lease with AEG to play at Staples Center runs thru June 2024. Staples Center will be 25 years old at the end of that lease.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 14, 2017
Of course, the new arena will not happen until the lease is up at Staples Center in 2015. Either way, the Clippers are looking to get the state of the art arena that they need to engage the younger generation. Considering the Clippers are relatively new to postseason appearances, their just now attracting fans with their winning ways.
As a former intern with the organization, I can say that the team does an excellent job of engaging children in community outreach. These young children can grow up as lifetime Clippers fans, so the organization needs an fancy arena to captivate these younger fans with a short-attention span. The team and young fan base can grow into the new venue.
The arena would have 18,000 to 20,000 seats, include on-site parking and be "state of the art," according to the agreement.
— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) June 14, 2017
This state of the art arena will also give the Clippers something that they have never have in Los Angeles. It is a unique place for Clippers fans to call home. The team has played in the Sports Arena, Forum and Staples Center since coming to L.A. Never have they had an arena of their own.
Could the Clippers finally move out of the shadows of the Lakers?
The new arena means no more Lakers banners, Lakers or Kings statues, no more purple seats and possibly no more swapping gear in the team store. Maybe, the new arena will feature a place for the fans to learn and share the Clippers’ history.
At the end of the day, the new Clippers’ land could help the team attract even more fans. This is especially important once everyone is looking at the Rams’ new arena.
Nonetheless, it is great that the new arena is still in the Los Angeles Arena. Inglewood sounds much better than San Diego or Seattle. Both markets have been speculated as solutions to the Clippers moving out of the Lakers’ shadow. Seattle was speculated for Ballmer’s ties to the market, while San Diego was speculated due to the Clippers’ history there. It is great news that both are essentially eliminated with Ballmer’s interest in an Inglewood arena.
Ultimately, the stadium will not be here until at least 2025. Regardless, it is a great distraction from the impeding offseason that features the potential free agency of starters of JJ Redick, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Combined with the cap issues and lack of draft picks, the Clippers front office has major decisions to make.
Thus, the short-term future presents a ton of uncertainty for the Clippers. In the long-term, at least they will have an awesome home in the new center of L.A. What a time to be a Clippers fan.
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