The Los Angeles Clippers are doing their due diligence to bring their dreams of a new arena into a reality. The team has already released plans for a new stadium that will be 100 percent privately financed, and now, a new report indicates that the team’s owner, Steve Ballmer, will make a monstrous donation to the city where the stadium is expected to be built.
According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Ballmer plans to invest $100 million into Inglewood after negotiating a deal with members of the city council.
Via ESPN:
The Clippers, citing public records, called it the largest commitment of funding for community programs made in connection to a sports or entertainment venue in California, with $80 million of it going toward affordable housing, assistance to renters and first-time homebuyers, and $12.75 million going toward school and youth programs.
Youngmisuk brings word that the plan is for the arena development agreement to get introduced on Tuesday night when the Inglewood City Council meets. Of course, the Clippers and the Lakers currently share a home at the Staples Center, but the Clippers’ lease ends in 2024. That’s damn near a lifetime in the NBA — it’s impossible to predict what the team will look like then, in part because of the monstrous haul of draft picks they gave up to get Paul George and, in turn, Kawhi Leonard — but it’s evident that no matter what the franchise looks like at that point, they’re doing everything they can to have their own digs.
