A.I. and facial recognition impact just about all fan services inside the $2 billion arena, which seats 18,000 for basketball.
“We’re really excited to welcome the world,” Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker told NBC’s “TODAY” show ahead of Sunday’s national showcase.
“Obviously, it’s an honor to be able to host NBA All-Star. When we walk in, I mean, we just hope that (fans and players) have this experience that makes them feel like this place was built for them.”
The Wall of sound
Despite all those high-tech features, Clippers officials said they’re most proud of a decidedly old school feature of the building — “The Wall.”
It’s a steep section of seating reserved for Clippers fans — no opposing team fans allowed — where standing and chanting is encouraged. The Wall replicates an ultra fan setting straight out of a European or South American soccer match.
“We had this idea that we could have this standing supporter section that could help deliver home court advantage in this unique way,” Zucker said. “That would be a real asset to the building and create a distinct personality for Intuit Dome.”
In a challenge far steeper than the 51-row Wall, Ballmer is seeking to shake up the Southern California sports hierarchy.
For the past seven decades, pro ball in this region has been ruled by the Lakers and baseball’s Dodgers as the alternating Nos. 1 or 2 of Angeleno affection.
The Clippers, since moving to L.A. from San Diego in the fall of 1984, have been nothing but an afterthought and their crib has played a significant role in that second-class status.
While the Showtime Lakers were winning titles and hosting celebrities at the Fabulous Forum, the Clippers spent their first 15 Southland seasons at the perpetually dilapidated L.A. Sports Arena, where the Democratic Party met in 1960 and nominated John F. Kennedy.
It met the wrecking ball in 2016.
The Clippers moved in with the Lakers in 1999 at the Staples Center just south of downtown, having to endure decades of constant reminders that they’re underachievers compared to their more-successful roommates.
Home sweet Dome
In these 1 1/2 years at their new home in the Intuit Dome, it’s too early to tell if the Clippers have made any dent into the Lakers’ hold on L.A. fandom.
The Lakers still have one the best 1-2 combos in basketball, LeBron James and Luka Dončić, and are 32-21 so far this season. The Clippers are on the edge of the playoff picture at 26-28.
“It’s not necessarily an either/or for relevance given the size and strength of this market,” USC’s Brunious said.
After the All-Star Game, the spotlight on the Intuit Dome will get even bigger in 2 1/2 years when the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics come to town. Two of the event’s signature competitions, men’s and women’s basketball, will come to Century Boulevard — and not the Lakers’ home, now known as Crypto.com Arena.
So the Clippers have the better building even if they may not yet have the better franchise.
“We cannot wait for the Olympics, obviously,” Zucker said. “That’s very, very exciting to be on a world stage and be able to showcase Intuit Dome. The building really was built for events like that with the number of locker rooms that we have and it just being really a centerpiece for basketball. I think that the world will really enjoy the basketball events at the Olympics.”
