Shams: NBA Finalizing Plans for Clippers to Host 2026 All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly on the verge of hosting the NBA's 2026 All-Star weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The event will be held at the Intuit Dome, the team's new arena in Inglewood, which is currently scheduled to open for the Clippers' 2024-25 season.

The Indiana Pacers are currently slated to host the 2024 All-Star game, while the Golden State Warriors are set to host the festivities in San Francisco in 2025.

Construction on the Intuit Dome began in Sep. 2021, as the Clippers have shared Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers for over 20 years. They first moved to the arena in 1999, which was then known as the Staples Center.

Ballmer has repeatedly emphasized that the Intuit Dome will emphasize fans engaging with the team's on-court product.

"There are casual fans, people who are happy to spend time in the bar and occasionally look out at the game," Ballmer said on Nov. 14, per Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated. "Love them. Great. But we want to put our emphasis elsewhere. This [building] is about being in your seat, being in the bowl, watching the team."

This could benefit the presentation of All-Star weekend, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged that the fanfare surrounding extended player introductions as well as a halftime show can cause fans to lose interest in the game itself.

"When it comes to the [All-Star] Game, we just got to make it clear to everybody involved, coaches included, that we're looking for a basketball game," Silver said on Nov. 7, according to ESPN's Marc J. Spears.

If the 18,000-seat arena lives up to Ballmer's expectations, the NBA's All-Star weekend in 2026 will be a memorable one.