INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The history of the Clippers is one that has been clouded with disappointment, scandals and injuries, which has led many to believe the franchise is cursed. From the years of missing the playoffs to the ban of their longtime owner Donald Sterling in 2014, it has been a rough go for Clipper fans.
I recently had the opportunity to tour the brand new $2 billion Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, and this futuristic, upscale facility can change the way the organization is viewed and the way sports arenas are imagined in the future.
Here are the takeaways from my behind-the-scenes tour:
This Is The Most Futuristic Arena In The NBA
From the moment you step onto the site of the Intuit Dome, you are met with a larger than life 4K LED screen in what the team is calling “The Plaza.” With a space that can occupy a small concert, the screen is at the forefront of this space, with a full length community basketball court below it.
As you enter the main entrance, it is evident that you are in a stadium of the future, with facial recognition services called “GameFaceID” that make your experience as quick and effective as possible.
This technology uses app registration from your phone, along with payment method, and converts your body into a debit or credit card at any shop you go to at the arena. Just scan your face at a concession stand or at a merchandise store and you are good to go.
The Clippers even took the lighting into account, as the built-in training facility and practice courts have a new technology called “BrainLit,” which uses specific lighting to enhance brain waves, mood and performance. The organization thought about every last detail to enhance the players’ experience and the fan’s experience at this palatial new building in Inglewood.
The In-Seat Experience Is Remarkable
I haven’t even gotten to the actual court and seating yet, and the tech is already overflowing with cutting-edge features. My favorite part about the Intuit Dome resides in the seating and in the bowl of the stadium, where you are immediately met with an acre of 4K screen wrapped in an oval shape called the “Halo Board.” This massive screen is very reminiscent of the screen across the street at Sofi Stadium, just in a smaller form, but it is larger than life.
Then, as you get to your seat, you are met with dynamic LED lighting at every single seat, along with plush cushioned seats, free USB-C charging, and a game controller on the arm rest…yes a personal controller at your seat. This controller has four clickable buttons that you can use to interact with games that the fans can play on the Halo Board. No other arena is doing this kind of stuff.
Not to mention, the proximity of your seat to the floor. I stood at the 20th row of “The Wall,” which is a steep, continuous row of seats next to the away bench, and I felt much closer to the action than Cypto.com Arena. Getting to the first through third row of The Wall, and I felt like I could almost give a player a handshake from my seat if I tried.
There is so much more that the Clippers will eventually be able to demo, including t-shirt cannons on top of the Halo Board that can reach the terrace, best-in-class acoustics, and “Player 360,” an immersive software used on the Halo Board to display player information.
This Is For The Fans
From the moment I stepped out of my car in the connecting parking garage to the stadium, I felt like I belonged, almost as if there was a sense of being welcomed. At the previous arena, the Clippers were treated like a B-Team and the fan experience felt second class.
At the new Intuit Dome, everything is basketball and Clipper oriented, from the design, to the experience, to the concourse, to the exterior. Steve Ballmer and the organization wanted to make this stadium specifically for the fans, and that is exemplified through and through.
The restrooms were plenty and close by, the concessions were easily accessible, and the jersey of every high school team in California was present throughout the main concourse of the arena.
Many outside of the Clipper fandom and community don’t realize how important it is to break away from theshadow that is the Los Angeles Lakers, and this is another massive step in the right direction.
A luxury experience, a detailed arena, and a fun and welcoming environment is what Clipper fans have never had. Now, they are focused on bringing something else they have never had, a championship, back to the city of Inglewood.