Steve Ballmer Comments on Clippers Pursuing Potential Sites for New Arena
On Wednesday, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer confirmed the team is weighing its options regarding a possible move away from Staples Center, which it shares with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.ย
ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz first reported in July the Clippers were thinking about playing in a new arena once their lease expires with Staples Center in June 2024.
While Staples Center isn't an old venueโit opened in October 1999โthe Clippers' desire to play elsewhere is understandable. Arnovitz wrote how the franchise feels it doesn't receive fair treatment from the terms of its current lease:
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"Sources with knowledge of the Clippers' lease agreement said that, in many regards, the team operates as Staples Center's "third tenant," a condition that's becoming increasingly tiresome to the organization. The Clippers receives a smaller share of proceeds from suites and club seats than the Lakers and [Los Angeles]ย Kings, according to sources, and a lesser say in scheduling and the overall fan experience at the arena.
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The Clippers have often been in the Lakers' shadow since construction of Staples Center. In the arena's first year, the Lakers won their first of three straight NBA titles. During that same span, the Clippers won an average of 28 games.
Putting the Clippers and Lakers in the same venue highlighted the contrasting fortunes between them on the court. Only recentlyโas they became a perennial playoff contenderโdid the Clippers start overtaking the Lakers in terms of attendance, according to ESPN.com:
| 2000-01 | 18,935 (8th) | 14,620 (24th) |
| 2001-02 | 18,997 (8th) | 18,053 (13th) |
| 2002-03 | 18,972 (9th) | 17,231 (14th) |
| 2003-04 | 18,969 (7th) | 16,229 (19th) |
| 2004-05 | 18,792 (7th) | 16,980 (18th) |
| 2005-06 | 18,882 (7th) | 17,375 (13th) |
| 2006-07 | 18,985 (7th) | 18,421 (11th) |
| 2007-08 | 18,997 (11th) | 16,888 (19th) |
| 2008-09 | 18,997 (8th) | 16,170 (22nd) |
| 2009-10 | 18,997 (7th) | 16,343 (20th) |
| 2010-11 | 18,997 (8th) | 17,742 (14th) |
| 2011-12 | 18,997 (8th) | 19,219 (7th) |
| 2012-13 | 18,997 (8th) | 19,226 (6th) |
| 2013-14 | 18,828 (8th) | 19,212 (7th) |
| 2014-15 | 18,737 (11th) | 19,168 (9th) |
| 2015-16 | 18,997 (11th) | 19,192 (10th) |
In a somewhat telling incident, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers stirred up some controversy when he decided to cover up Lakers championship banners and retired uniforms with pictures of Clippers players.
"He can do that?" Lakers guard Nick Young said, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "For real? That's disrespectful. We got to talk to Doc. He can't have that. We got to do something about that."
Rivers explained his decision in October 2013, according to the Los Angeles Times' Melissa Rohlin:
"The other day I was in a drug store and a Laker fan said, 'I can't believe you covered up our banners, but I was always wondering why you hadn't done it in the past.' It's the Clipper court and that's the way we feel. Again, it's not a disrespectful thing at all, it's not intended that way at all, it's more that when we play our game it should be about us and only us.
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Building a new arena would allow the Clippers to have a home of their own that wouldn't be associated with their historically more successful rivals, and Ballmer is unlikely to use his desire to get a new arena as a precursor to relocate the team.
"The Clippers are not going anywhere, ever," he said at GeekWire Sports Tech Summit in July, according to Woikeย of the. "I will die owning the L.A. Clippers in Los Angeles."
