LA Clippers announce date of groundbreaking ceremony for their new stadium in Inglewood; Kawhi Leonard and Paul George among expected notable attendees
The LA Clippers are now officially turning their “bold imagination” of owning a separate stadium into reality. Former ESPN columnist Arash Markazi and various other credible media sources revealed late on Wednesday (September 8) that the Clippers will be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on their new $1.8 billion arena in Inglewood, California on September 17.
As per reports, the ceremony will start at 10 a.m. local time at West Century Boulevard and South Prairie Avenue. Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and former Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George are expected to join the festivities.
Clippers’ new state-of-art football stadium will be based out south of the world’s most expensive sports arena, SoFi Stadium, the splashy home of NFL teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Current Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and Inglewood Mayor James Butts will be amongst the attendants as well.
When are LA Clippers moving into their new stadium?
Though the official press release fails to pin-pint the specific date, the construction on the Clippers’ new one-of-its-kind stadium is likely to begin before the start of next season, which will kick off on October 19. The report also states that the arena will be ready by the time the 2024-25 NBA regular season tips off. In addition to hosting the Clippers, the arena will also be a one-stop destination for events offering live experiences.
Dawn of a new era for the LA Clippers
Back in the summer of 2019, the LA Clippers announced the signing of Kawhi Leonard, who was coming off a championship-winning season with the Toronto Raptors.
All-Star forward Paul George also headed to Showtime from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Clippers’ squad overhaul was an attempt to gain ground on city rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, which they did in terms of putting the talent on paper. But success has eluded them and luck has deserted them since then. The Clippers have failed to move into the Western Conference finals since signing Leonard and George. To add to their woes, the Lakers won their 17th title in 2020.
But the new arena will be a massive indication of how the Clippers plan to go about their business in the future. Not only will the stadium offer an obvious home-court advantage, but it will also make their schedule more favorable.
The Clippers are tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the most games (five) in seven-night stretches during the 2021-22 regular season. This is primarily because the Clippers share their stadium with the Los Angeles Lakers. That type of clash of scheduling will no longer exist when the Clippers finally move into their new stadium.
When does the 2021-22 NBA season start for the LA Clippers?
The LA Clippers will play three pre-season games before opening their 2021-22 NBA season with a match against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on October 22 (07:30 AM, IST).
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