For the perpetually hurting Los Angeles Clippers fans who watched Paul George walk in free agency and are entering the twilight of Kawhi Leonard’s career without so much as an NBA Finals appearance, this may ease your pain.
About a month from now, the Clippers will officially open Intuit Dome, a $2 billion arena that I wasn’t aware was approaching its ready date so quickly. You have to see the inside look video below to believe it for yourself.
The Clippers' new $2B Intuit Dome looks CRAZY. 😰
(🎥: @_carlojimenez) pic.twitter.com/RuzIB7SEot
— theScore (@theScore) July 14, 2024
Between Intuit Dome and the $5 to $6 billion SoFi Stadium that houses the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, the city of Inglewood, California now has two of the most iconic, palatial major sports venues in the world. As for what Intuit Dome offers, well, what doesn’t it offer? Not much of a better way to engage fans than to build a full-size court for community use outside the arena.
Then there’s, like, a ship built out of basketball hoops from all over the world? That’s kind of ingenious, almost making it seem like the Clippers have a more illustrious history than they actually do. I’m not taking a shot at them — it’s actually smart. Team owner Steve Ballmer has a signature-engraved greeting on the sidewalk leading to the entrance. A nice personal touch from a gazillionaire whose most relatable quality is freaking the f**k out at his most beloved sports team.
Can’t wait to see Ballmer lose his mind in the epic setting of Intuit Dome many times over. You can’t say he doesn’t really care.
As we get ready for the Summer Olympics in Paris, it’s worth noting that Intuit Dome will be the site for basketball during the 2028 Summer Games.
Plans for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles have been updated. The new plans announced today:
– Gymnastics will be held at Crypto Arena.
– Swimming be held at SoFi Stadium.
– Basketball will be held at Intuit Dome.
– Athletics and Para Athletics will held at the Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/ax9bSCO9on— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 21, 2024
Finally, — since it goes without saying that the locker rooms are world- class — a brand-new practice facility is housed within the arena. It’s complete with a jersey from every high school in California. You read that right. Talk about an ambitious architectural undertaking.
The Clippers will indeed play in their new arena for the upcoming 2024-25 season. It’s just kind of sad that in the wake of George’s departure, they haven’t made a corresponding splashy move to get their fans amped for this exciting new chapter. Having to share Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers and continue to be the little-brother franchise in the City of Angels had to only add insult to the Clips’ quite literal injuries. Had Kawhi been able to stay healthy more often while George was his teammate, maybe they’d have won a title by now.
