Wikipedia

Intuit Dome

Intuit Dome is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California. The arena is located south of the other major Inglewood sports venues, SoFi Stadium and the Kia Forum. It is the home venue of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Clippers previously played games at Crypto.com Arena, a venue the team shared with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL), from the 1999–2000 season through 2023–24.

Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome in October 2024
Intuit Dome is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome is located in California
Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome
Location in California
Intuit Dome is located in the United States
Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome
Location in the United States
Former namesInglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center (planning phase)
Address3930 West Century Boulevard
LocationInglewood, California, U.S.
Coordinates33°56′42″N 118°20′35″W / 33.9451°N 118.3431°W / 33.9451; -118.3431
Public transit K Line Downtown Inglewood
Bus interchange Metro Local 212 from
C Line Hawthorne/Lennox
OwnerSteve Ballmer (Murphy's Bowl, LLC)
Capacity18,000
Field size915,000 sq ft (85,000 m2)
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 17, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-09-17)
OpenedAugust 15, 2024; 4 months ago (2024-08-15)
Construction cost$2 billion[1]
ArchitectAECOM[2]
Structural engineerWalter P Moore
General contractorAECOM Hunt Turner NBA JV
Tenants
Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) 2024–present
Website
intuitdome.com

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new arena was held on September 17, 2021. The arena opened on August 15, 2024, ahead of the 2024–25 NBA season. The arena will serve as a basketball venue during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

History

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In 2017, the City of Inglewood approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers to build a new, basketball-specific arena for the team, which would be located across from the then-under construction SoFi Stadium.[3] The Clippers had not had their own arena since they left the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in 1999 for Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena), which they shared with the Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.

Throughout the team's history, it never had any tangible ownership interest in any of its home arenas. The Clippers instead rented its previous venues in Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium (as the Braves), where it held low priority beneath the Sabres and Canisius College's basketball program, then San Diego's Sports Arena when they became the Clippers, followed by the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Its previous deal with Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) allowed for a different Clipper court, and required a 'neutralization' process before and after each game to cover up and then restore Laker achievements, banners and sponsorships, along with setting its own court lighting pattern. In tightly-scheduled weekends, which included Kings games and musical concerts in addition to the Lakers, the process was often completed within a three to four hour window, including cleanup of the seating bowl from the previous event.[4] Clippers owner Steve Ballmer saw the construction of a dedicated arena for the team as being a high priority.[4][5][6]

Lawsuits

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Various lawsuits were filed to prevent the construction of the arena. Uplift Inglewood filed a lawsuit alleging that the agreement between the Clippers and Inglewood violated the state Surplus Land Act, which requires that proposals for affordable housing, recreation, and school projects be given preference when a city intends to sell its public land.[7] Mayor James T. Butts Jr. argued that the proposed site had already been deemed unsuitable for residential use due to its proximity to Los Angeles International Airport.[8]

The Madison Square Garden Company, owner of The Forum, a nearby arena in Inglewood that formerly served as the Lakers' home arena— were accused of using litigation to block the new arena, fearing that it would unduly compete with The Forum's live events business.[5] MSG paid the legal fees of Inglewood Residents Against Takings and Evictions (IRATE), another group that filed lawsuits opposing the arena.[7] In December 2018, the Clippers (via its subsidiary Murphy's Bowl, LLC) filed a countersuit against MSG over the matter.[5]

In March 2019, leaked emails revealed that MSG's Irving Azoff attempted to lure the Los Angeles Lakers back to The Forum after their lease of Staples Center was up. Despite nothing coming of the proposal, Azoff's proposal to re-purpose The Forum was seen as a way of preventing the Los Angeles Clippers from building their own arena in Inglewood and ensuring that the Madison Square Garden Company got an unfair advantage over rival AEG, which is a Lakers minority owner.[9] In November 2019, a judge ruled against Uplift Inglewood's lawsuit.[7] In December 2019, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the new arena, after evaluating the arena's environmental impact.[10]

Construction and opening

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Intuit Dome under construction in October 2023.

In March 2020, in a move to settle the litigation with MSG, Ballmer announced that he would acquire The Forum for $400 million in an all-cash deal. The sale was completed in May, with all existing employees retained under the new ownership. The acquisition of The Forum was considered to be the last major hurdle blocking the construction of the new arena.[11][12]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 17, 2021. Ballmer described a goal for the new arena to be a "basketball palazzo".[13] A 23-year naming rights deal for at least $500 million was announced with Mountain View, California based financial software company Intuit, naming the arena Intuit Dome.[14] On April 5, 2024, it was announced that Bruno Mars would open Intuit Dome with back-to-back shows on August 15 and 16, 2024.[15][16] The Clippers played their first preseason game at the arena on October 14, winning 110–96 against the Dallas Mavericks. They played their first regular season game at the arena on October 23, against the Phoenix Suns, losing 116–113 in overtime in front of 18,300 fans. The Clippers would get their first regular season win at the arena on November 4, 2024 when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113–104. The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team will play at the arena against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on December 28.[17]

Features

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The Outdoor Court at Intuit Dome

On July 25, 2019, the Clippers released renderings of the proposed arena.[18] The 18,000-seat arena was designed by AECOM. It includes a practice facility, sports medicine clinic, team offices, retail space, and a large outdoor plaza with basketball courts open to the public.[19][20][21]

The practice facility is 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2), the team offices 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) and the sports medicine clinic 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2). An additional 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) are set aside for retail and 260,000 square feet (24,000 m2) for the outdoor plaza.[19]

 
View of Intuit Dome's Eastern Exterior, with the Clippers' team office and practice facility visible

The Clippers have also launched a project where they display basketball jerseys from high schools across the state of California on the arena's rafters.[22]

The arena features a seating section known as "The Wall", 51 consecutive rows with no suites positioned on the baseline adjacent to the visitor’s bench exclusively reserved for Clippers fans. The section is similar to the "Yellow Wall" at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany.[23]

The arena also has over 1,100 toilets and urinals, three times the league average to allow fans to return to their seats quicker instead of waiting in long lines.[24]

 
Video board of Intuit Dome, alongside a wide shot of the arena in concert layout

The arena features a double-sided halo board similar to the one at neighboring SoFi Stadium. The video board designed by Daktronics, covers 38,375 square feet (3,565.2 m2) with a 4K resolution display.[25] During an unveiling event on July 19, 2024, Steve Ballmer demonstrated some of the features that are displayed on the screen including "player 360" which shows detailed player profiles and a section called "coaches corner" that displays advanced stats about the game.[26] The Halo Boards are also installed with T-shirt cannons capable of launching merchandise into the upper levels of the arena.[27]

The arena also has several pieces of public artwork:

  • Glenn Kaino's "Sails", a series of clipper ships made of painted steel and wood with sails and masts made of backboards and hoops, which is located at the main entrance.
  • Jennifer Steinkamp’s digital artwork "Swoosh", a series of light animations which is displayed on the surface of the arena.
  • Refik Anadol's digital artwork "Living Arena", featuring live data about flight information at LAX, the weather in Inglewood, player tracking from previous Clippers games, and the national parks of California, which is displayed on an LED screen near the community basketball court.
  • Patrick Martinez’s sculpture "Same Boat", a neon sign near "Living Arena" featuring Whitney Young's quote "We may have all come on different ships but we’re in the same boat now." which both honors the nautical origins of the Clippers name as well as the diverse background of the Clippers fanbase.
  • Kyungmi Shin’s stained glass mosaic "Spring to Life", which depicts silhouettes of basketball players on the Centinela Springs, the former water source of the Tongva people who are indigenous to the Los Angeles area.
  • Michael Massenburg's mural "Cultural Playground", which depicts the diverse nature of Los Angeles's arts and sports scenes.

Two hotels are expected to open near the arena in June 2026; a five-story Fairfield by Marriott adjacent to Intuit Dome's east garage, and a fifteen-story Arya Hotel south of the arena on 102nd Street.[28]

Reviews

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After the first regular season basketball game between the Clippers and Suns at Intuit Dome, Kevin Durant said, "Yeah, it was crazy. I was just staring at it the whole time. You're not used to that," referring to The Wall. Durant also mentioned that he had only experienced something similar once in college and that the noise "sounds a little different. It's going to be a tough road environment for anyone who comes in here." Devin Booker added, "You spend $2 billion, put a wall up."[29]

Events

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2026 NBA All-Star Game

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The arena will host the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on February 15, 2026.[30]

2028 Summer Olympics

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The arena will serve as a basketball venue during the 2028 Summer Olympics.[31]

Concerts

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Bruno Mars played the venue's inaugural shows on August 15 and 16, 2024[15] followed by Marco Antonio Solís on August 18 for his Eternamente Agradecido tour,[32] Olivia Rodrigo for her Guts World Tour on August 20 and 21,[33] Contemporary Christian musicians Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham on August 22 as part of their Summer Worship Nights Tour,[34] Peso Pluma on August 24 for his Éxodo Tour,[35] Twenty One Pilots on August 27 and 28 as part of The Clancy World Tour,[36] Future and Metro Boomin on August 31 for their We Trust You Tour,[37] NCT Dream on September 12 for their The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape,[38] Slipknot on September 13 and 14 for their Here Comes the Pain Tour,[39] and Grupo Frontera on September 20 for their Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada Tour.[40]

 
Billy Joel performing in Intuit Dome in October 2024

Usher's Past Present and Future tour performed at the arena from September 21–25.[41] Elevation Worship performed on September 28.[42] Weezer's Voyage to the Blue Planet tour performed at Intuit Dome on October 11,[43] followed by Billy Joel the following night.[44] Ana Gabriel performed on October 19 for her Un Deseo Más tour,[45] followed by David Gilmour on October 25 for his Luck and Strange Tour,[46] and Tyler the Creator for the listening party of his eighth studio album Chromakopia on October 27. Fuerza Regida performed on November 15 and 16 for their Pero No Te Enamores Tour.[47] Cyndi Lauper performed at Intuit Dome on November 23 during her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour.[48]

Stand-up comedy

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Sebastian Maniscalco performed at Intuit Dome on August 17, 2024, as part of his It Ain't Right tour.[49][15] Franco Escamilla performed on September 27, 2024.[50]

Professional wrestling

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In November 2024, it was revealed Intuit Dome would be the location for the premiere episode of WWE Raw on Netflix on January 6, 2025, with American rapper Travis Scott also making an appearance.[51]

Mixed martial arts

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The UFC will host their first event at the arena on January 18, 2025 for UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2.[52]

References

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  1. ^ Polina, Richard (March 3, 2024). "Teens break into Clippers' new $2B arena, wreak havoc in TikTok footage: 'Posting this is crazy'". New York Post. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  2. ^ Malone, David (July 29, 2019). "L.A. Clippers unveil design for new Inglewood arena". Building Design + Construction. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "New LA Clippers arena approved by Inglewood City Council". NBA. Associated Press. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer still seeking Inglewood arena for team". NBA. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Friend, Nick (December 18, 2018). "Inglewood arena row: LA Clippers launch MSG countersuit". SportsPro. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Mantle, Larry (May 16, 2012). "Lakers, Clippers, Kings share LA's Staples Center for playoffs games". AirTalk. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Fenno, Nathan (November 7, 2019). "Judge rules against lawsuit opposing proposed arena for Clippers". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Chiland, Elijah (June 19, 2018). "Inglewood residents sue to block Clippers arena". Curbed LA.
  9. ^ Fenno, Nathan (March 14, 2019). "Must Reads: Lakers explored leaving Staples Center for return to Forum, emails reveal". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ "Clippers Arena Gets Approval, Inglewood Rises Again". City of Inglewood. Retrieved December 5, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ Pedersen, Erik (May 4, 2020). "Los Angeles Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer Closes Deal To Buy The Forum From MSG – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Young, Jabari (March 25, 2020). "Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer buys the Forum for $400 million in cash". CNBC. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  13. ^ Golliver, Ben. "The NBA's richest owner enters the arena arms race". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Young, Jabari (September 17, 2021). "Steve Ballmer's LA Clippers strike $500 million-plus arena naming-rights deal with TurboTax owner Intuit". CNBC. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Haring, Bruce (April 5, 2024). "L.A. Clippers' New Intuit Dome Will See Bruno Mars As Its Opening Act". Deadline. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "Shams: Phoenix Suns will open the season against the Los Angeles Clippers, first game in new Intuit Dome". August 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "Gonzaga, UCLA are finalizing a two-year series starting next season". Gonzaga Nation. May 9, 2024.
  18. ^ "Clippers unveil renderings of proposed arena". ESPN News. July 26, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Fenno, Nathan (February 20, 2018). "New details of Clippers' proposed Inglewood arena complex revealed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  20. ^ "Notice Of Preparation Of A Draft Environmental Impact Report And Public Scoping Meeting" (Press release). City of Inglewood. February 20, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Oram, Bill (June 16, 2017). "Clippers take first steps to Inglewood arena while keeping options open". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  22. ^ "Clippers' Intuit Dome to showcase California high school basketball jerseys". Fox 11 News. Fox Television Stations. January 31, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  23. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaneyoung/2024/04/17/la-clippers-unveil-the-ultimate-wall-pass-for-the-intuit-dome/
  24. ^ Selbe, Nick (March 8, 2023). "Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer is ECSTATIC About the Toilets at Team's New Arena". Sports Illustrated.
  25. ^ "LA Clippers' Intuit Dome Halo Board Highlights largest Order Volume In Daktronics History". Daktronics. June 8, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  26. ^ Kraus, Marissa (July 19, 2024). "'It's crazy': How Intuit Dome's Halo Board changes Clipper fans' experience". Los Angeles Times.
  27. ^ Stumbaugh, Julia (July 19, 2024). "Clippers Unveil New Intuit Dome Video Board with Storm Effect, T-Shirt Cannon, More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  28. ^ Sharp, Steven (February 13, 2024). "15-story hotel planned next to new L.A. Clippers arena in Inglewood". Urbanize LA. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Youngmisuk, Ohm (October 24, 2024). "'The Wall' in Clippers' new arena baffles KD, but LA loses". ESPN. USA.
  30. ^ "Los Angeles and LA Clippers to host NBA All-Star 2026". NBA. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  31. ^ Golliver, Ben (January 16, 2024). "Clippers' Intuit Dome will host 2026 NBA All-Star Game, 2028 Olympics". The Washington Post.
  32. ^ "Intuit Dome".
  33. ^ "Olivia Rodrigo to Close Out 'Guts' at Intuit Dome - Pollstar News". June 17, 2024.
  34. ^ "Phil Wickham & Brandon Lake Summer Worship Nights Tour at Intuit Dome on THU Aug 22, 2024, 7:00 PM". Live Nation. March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  35. ^ "Intuit Dome".
  36. ^ "The Clancy World Tour". Twenty One Pilots.
  37. ^ "Intuit Dome - Inglewood: Future & Metro Boomin". www.intuitdome.com.
  38. ^ "Intuit Dome - Inglewood: NCT Dream 9/12". www.intuitdome.com.
  39. ^ "Slipknot LIVE in Los Angeles". www.intuitdome.com.
  40. ^ https://thescenestar.typepad.com/ss/2024/05/grupo-frontera-to-play-a-show-at-intuit-dome.html [bare URL]
  41. ^ Saponara, Michael (February 6, 2024). "Usher Announces Past Present Future North American Tour: See the Dates". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  42. ^ "Intuit Dome - Inglewood: Elevation Nights". www.intuitdome.com.
  43. ^ "Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour". Instagram. March 11, 2024.
  44. ^ Olinger, Sandra B. (February 26, 2024). "Billy Joel Announces Los Angeles Concert at New Intuit Dome". Grimy Goods.
  45. ^ "Intuit Dome - Inglewood: Ana Gabriel". www.intuitdome.com.
  46. ^ "Intuit Dome".
  47. ^ "Fuerza Regida LIVE at Intuit Dome FRI NOV 15 & SAT NOV 16". www.intuitdome.com.
  48. ^ "Cyndi Lauper Announces 2024 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour: See the Dates, Billboard, June 3, 2024". Billboard.
  49. ^ "Event Schedule". Intuit Dome. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  50. ^ "Intuit Dome - Inglewood: Franco Escamilla". www.intuitdome.com.
  51. ^ "WWE reveals location & ticket information for Raw Netflix premiere". F4W/WON. November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  52. ^ Hathaway, Ken (December 6, 2024). "UFC 311 video: Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan itch for rematch during faceoff". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
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