After a nearly 20-year tenure at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Clippers are reportedly in the process of negotiating an agreement to build a new arena in Inglewood. The team still has a lease with the current arena that they share with the Lakers through 2024 and would likely remain there until that time.
The plot of land selected would put them next to the Rams’ soon-to-be completed stadium and Inglewood’s city council is expected to vote on the matter on Thursday. Here’s more from Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times:
Inglewood’s City Council will vote Thursday on an exclusive negotiating agreement with a Clippers-controlled company to use city-owned land to build an arena for the team, according to a copy of the agreement.
The 22 acres where the 18,000- to 20,000-seat arena would be built are across the street from the 298-acre site where Rams owner Stan Kroenke is building a stadium that will house his team and the Chargers.
The Rams aren’t involved in the Clippers’ arena project, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
A new stadium would help alleviate a number of logistical problems that come with housing two NBA teams in the same building, particularly in terms of scheduling conflicts. It would also solve some of the more humorous issues that have cropped up in the in-house rivalry between the two franchises, namely Doc Rivers’ penchant for covering up the Lakers’ championship banners during Clippers home games.
Additionally, enigmatic owner Steve Ballmer has apparently decided to forego any potential disputes between his organization and the city to pony up money for the construction project as the wealthy tech magnate reportedly will pay for the entirety of it himself.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will finance the stadium 100% with his own money, source. He did buy the Clippers for $2 billion.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 14, 2017
Given their ascension as a semi-viable contender in the West the past few years, a new arena brings them one step closer to autonomy and getting out from under the shadow of their long-time neighbors.
