The Clippers will be moving into their new $2 billion home, the Intuit Dome, in the upcoming season. They shared the iconic Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers for 25 years, and are finally moving out, which Jeanie Buss believes will benefit her team.
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During an appearance on the Petros and Money podcast, she claimed she was pleased that the Crypto.com Arena will now house only one NBA team. Buss also highlighted a positive aspect of the Clippers leaving their old home, saying,
“I mean, we moved in that building first, then the Clippers moved in and now they’ve moved out. So, nothing’s really changed for us at all…I just didn’t realize how long it was gonna take the rest of the league to realize that we have more home games.”
The 62-year-old pointed out that the Lakers couldn’t make any permanent alterations to the iconic venue due to the Clippers’ presence. However, with them no longer around, they can turn the Crypto.com Arena into a fully-fledged Lakers-themed stadium. She expressed her excitement about the team’s first use of that privilege, saying,
“If anyone hasn’t had a chance to come out and visit the statue that we just unveiled of Kobe and Gianna, it’s really something special.”
The Lakers recently unveiled the second of three statues honoring Kobe Bryant. The latest is a sculpture featuring the late icon and his daughter Gianna sitting on a bench with an angel’s wings around them. Buss believes it will be a special moment for all the girl dads to visit the site with their daughters.
While the Lakers are enjoying having their house to themselves, the Clippers are also excited about their new home.
The Intuit Dome will bring prestige and pressure to the Clippers
The Clippers’ new home stadium is among the finest sporting venues in the world. The $2 billion state-of-the-art facility will provide fans with a truly immersive live-action experience.
The LA Clippers’ new $2 billion home, the Intuit Dome, opens next month.
• Power at every seat
• Double-sided Halo Board
• 3x the toilets of average NBA arena
• Will host 2026 All-Star Weekend, 2028 Olympic Basketballpic.twitter.com/gR7TFIZlqu— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 20, 2024
However, it’ll also add more pressure on the franchise to win the NBA title. During a conversation on Sirius XM Radio, former Clippers star Norm Nixon claimed fans might detest the team if they don’t find success soon. He said,
“Going into a new arena is going to be a wonderful thing…but it still don’t matter, if you don’t win. You have to win championships…Los Angeles have millions of people, you have a lot of fans who don’t like the Lakers, they are just Lakers haters. But those guys wouldn’t go to the Clippers games until they win a championship.”
The Clippers’ bid to win the title in their first season in their new home has already hit a massive roadblock, as Paul George left the team to join the 76ers. The franchise is yet to find a replacement, putting pressure on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to lead the team’s championship charge. It remains to be seen how they’ll fare in their first season in their incredible arena.
