Report: Clippers nearing agreement with city of Inglewood for new arena
An end may be in sight for the Los Angeles Clippers’ days of taking up residence in Staples Center.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reports on Wednesday that the Clippers are nearing an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city of Inglewood to build a new arena.
Hearing from multiple sources #Clippers and city of Inglewood closing in on a ENA for new #Clippers arena.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) June 14, 2017
Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times adds that an announcement from the team confirming the news is imminent and that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will be financing the arena completely with his own money.
Clippers will announce tomorrow that they are closing in on building a stadium in Inglewood, sources.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 14, 2017
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will finance the stadium 100% with his own money, source. He did buy the Clippers for $2 billion.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 14, 2017
The Clippers moved into Staples Center in 1999 and have been sharing it with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL since. Their current lease runs through 2024.
Ballmer has seemingly been flirting with the idea of moving out for a while and Inglewood had indeed been noted as a possibility. The city previously played host to the Lakers, who resided at The Forum from 1967 to 1999. As for the Clippers, building their own arena nearby would be a big step towards forging an independent identity while still staying true to their Angeleno core.
