The NBA season may have just started, but it’s already a memorable one for many reasons.
The Los Angeles Clippers have officially found a new home at the Intuit Dome in the Inglewood neighborhood of the big city, which according to their official website, is designed to give fans a better way to enjoy live events and deliver the most intense home court advantage thanks to their forward-thinking amenities and seats.
“For the city of Inglewood, this is a big deal. The mayor is inside and I’m going to have a chance to chat with him,” Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer tells Celeb Secrets on the red carpet ahead of the team’s regular-season opener earlier this week. “He’s been working with us and really wanted us here. It’s going to be a big night.”
“We didn’t have a dome like this when I was playing, so I think this is so cool,” former NBA player Tyrone Nesby also tells us. “Just watching them getting out, getting their energy going and having the support… I mean you look around, there’s a lot of people here, so I’m super excited for them.”
Los Angeles Clippers Chairman, attends the LA Clippers NBA Season Opener at Intuit Dome on October 23, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LA Clippers)
On Wednesday (October 23), the Clippers made their way to the state-of-the-art venue for their first regular-season game where they faced one of their rivals, the Phoenix Suns. Even though the Clippers took an L with a 113-116 finish, it was still a historic moment that basketball fans will remember for years to come.
“I’m so disappointed that we didn’t get the win,” James Harden said, according to ESPN. “That’s like one of the most frustrating things. Like just history in Inglewood. The Intuit Dome. The fans showed up and we got the short end of the stick.
“But I think they gave us a great, great energy tonight, and I think the more they continue, that the better our results will be. So, we appreciate the fans. We got to do our part, and they definitely did theirs tonight.”
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While the list of one-of-a-kind features inside the Intuit Dome is staggering, the most intriguing of them all is The Wall. Located right by the basket behind the visitors’ bench, the steep section has 51 uninterrupted rows of seats, with the first 13 set aside by the team’s biggest fans. If you’re one of the lucky few to go through the franchise’s vetting process to score a spot in the coveted area, your responsibility is to solely stand and cheer for your favorite basketball team. Sounds like the ultimate night, right?
Well, Clippers Nation definitely delivered when the time came on Wednesday night, as Suns power forward Kevin Durant missed two free throws thanks to the distraction curated by fans inside The Wall.
“Yeah, it was crazy,” Durant said of The Wall. “I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.”
“I missed a free throw,” Devin Booker added, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter. “I was pissed. I think K missed two down there too. So that s— might work.”
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A-list names like Machine Gun Kelly, Pete Davidson, Paul Pierce, Lamorne Morris, Jason Derulo, Lena Waithe, Niecy Nash, Ellen Pompeo, Chris Ivery, Nikki Glaser, Terry Crews, Joshua Jackson, Joel McHale, Josh Gad, Todd Phillips, Eric Dane, Simon Rex, Jenna Dewan, Jimmy Jam, Scooter Braun, Brooks Nader, Christine Chiu, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Amanda Kloots, Gavin Leatherwood, Jalen Rose, Mo Bamba, James Goldstein, Cash Warren, Georgie Flores, Kelsey Merritt, Sofia Boutella, Shelley Hennig, Rachel Matthews, and Inanna were some of the many who came out to support the team at the big game, which was followed by an exclusive post-party inside the venue’s secret VIP club called The Room.
According to Sports Illustrated, The Room is only accessible through a series of hidden tunnels.
“Even those who’ve been inside this exclusive club don’t exactly know how they got there,” they share.
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This week, the Clippers will hit the road to face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday (October 26), the Golden State Warriors on Sunday (October 27) before coming back to the Intuit Dome when they face off the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday, October 30th @ 10:30PM ET/7:30PM PT, which you can watch on NBA League Pass.
