LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Los Angeles Clippers announced Thursday they are considering leaving Staples Center arena which they have shared with the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings since 1999.
The Clippers reached an agreement with the city of Inglewood, California to look into building a new stadium in the suburbs, about 12 kilometers (eight miles) southwest of downtown Los Angeles.
“I have said from day one that we need to plan for the future. This agreement helps us do that by expanding our options,” said Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
“The prospect of a new state-of-the-art NBA arena would allow us greater latitude to influence our game schedule, particularly as it relates to weekend games.”
Ballmer said the Clippers hope to build a state of the art facility on 20 acres of land that would include an arena, training center and offices. It would be located across the street from the NFL Los Angeles Rams’ new stadium.
But Ballmer said the Clippers would not be able to move before 2024, when their current lease with The Anschutz Corp. expires.
The former boss of the internet giant Microsoft bought the California franchise in 2014 for $2 billion and quickly said he wanted the Clippers to play in their own arena. The Clippers were eliminated in the first round of the 2017 NBA playoffs.
© Agence France-Presse