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Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has every reason to act like a Justin Bieber fangirl. His Clippers are firing on all cylinders right now, acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, becoming NBA title favorites while making the LeBron-led Lakers the underdogs in their own city.
Riding the wave of W’s, Steve Ballmer, who said his goal is for the Clippers to have the best home in all of sports, unveiled plans to move the team into a futuristic arena in Inglewood by the 2024-25 season.
Transformative.
Unparalleled.
A place for #ClipperNation to call home. pic.twitter.com/1gJGBe19vr
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 26, 2019
The arena seat 18,500 fans and will feature an outdoor venue for fans to gather and watch the games (think Toronto’s Jurassic Park).
Via NBA:
The proposed arena will have a three-dimensional oval design with a unique exterior of diamond-shaped metal panels inspired by the concept of a basketball swishing through a net. In addition to attractive aesthetics, the panels have been designed to provide solar benefit for maximum energy efficiency, as part of the facility’s LEED GOLD-certified design.
The facility’s most striking feature, intended to highlight the temperate climate of Southern California, is the integration of indoor/outdoor “sky gardens.” These landscaped areas for food and beverage will be accessible from every concourse level. The complex also envisions a multi-purpose plaza complete with concert stage, community basketball courts and space for the community to gather and watch everything from Clippers Playoff games to movie premieres on a supersized LED screen.
The Clippers campus will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of carbon offset credits and sustainable design features.
"Our goal is to build a facility that re-sets fans’ expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home.” – @Steven_Ballmer pic.twitter.com/PwQeyNcUDi
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 26, 2019
Zero taxpayer dollars, a 35% local hire rate and well-paying jobs for city residents for years to come, built on dormant property owned by the city. The Clippers are so hot right now.
[h/t For The Win]