“Spend $2 Billion, Put A Wall Up”: Devin Booker Admits He Was Pissed And Impressed With Intuit Dome’s ‘Wall’

The Phoenix Suns were the first opposing team to experience a regular-season game in the Clippers’ highly anticipated new arena, the Intuit Dome. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer spent $2 billion on the creation of the state-of-the-art facility. One of the most intriguing aspects of the stadium’s interior design is the implementation of a fan section known as ‘The Wall’.

The intimidating presence of the fans at the basket left a lasting impression on the Suns’ players, including superstar Devin Booker.

Ballmer and his team’s objective of the wall was to emulate the setting of a college sports atmosphere. The first 13 rows are standing room only, which encourages fans to “stand, cheer, and help deliver home-court advantage.” The Clippers weren’t able to capitalize on their home-court advantage falling 116-113 to the Suns, but the idea of ‘The Wall’ was a success early on.

“I missed a free throw. I was pissed. [Kevin Durant] missed two down there, too. The sh*t might work. Hell yeah, spend $2 billion, put a wall up,” Booker said.

Booker fell victim to the presence of the fans during his trip to the free-throw line. ‘The Wall’ seats 4,500 fans and is only habitable for Clippers fans.

Late in the fourth quarter, Booker made his way for his first trip at the charity stripe. The 88.6% free-throw shooter from last season, missed his first attempt. However, he wasn’t the only Suns player that felt the impact of Ballmer’s brainchild.

2x NBA champion Kevin Durant is a career 88% free-throw shooter, yet wavered due to ‘The Wall’. During the fourth quarter, he went empty on a free-throw trip, missing both attempts. The roar of the fans could be heard throughout the arena. However, Durant silenced them shortly after with the game-tying shot in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime. The 14x All-Star shared what the experience was like. He said,

“You know (the fans) excited. When they were this close to getting a stop and I raise up and I shot that and made it, it’s silent in there. It’s one of the best feelings, especially late in the game.”

Outside figures couldn’t help but give the new Clippers’ arena praise. Former Suns player Isaiah Thomas took to X to express his feelings toward the “crazy” Intuit Dome.

Details of the Intuit Dome

The Intuit Dome is truly an arena unlike any other throughout the NBA. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s original plan was to get his team out of the Lakers’ shadow, after having shared the crypto.com arena (formerly the Staples Center) for nearly 25 years. Ballmer is by far the richest team owner in the NBA, and he poured an estimated $2 billion to build it.

As mentioned earlier, ‘The Wall’ has garnered great attention, with its 51-row section dedicated to rowdy fans. However, there are many more incredible elements. Inside the arena features a halo-shaped Jumbotron that spans 38,000 square feet.

Additionally, each seat includes a phone charger providing the ultimate convenience for fans. The Intuit Dome also boasts the most toilets of any arena by a large margin, with over 1,400 toilets.

Although the arena houses great amenities, the priority is on the performance on the basketball court. The Clippers aim to be a competitive playoff team this season. Their ability to go toe-to-toe with a fully healthy Suns roster without Kawhi Leonard may indicate the sheer willpower of this roster and a sign of things to come as the season progresses.