Steve Ballmer on Clippers: ‘we’re going to be good year in and year out’
Since Steve Ballmer took over as the owner of the LA Clippers, he pushed to create a separate identity for the franchise in Los Angeles.
A considerable part of that effort has moved the team toward building its own arena, Intuit Dome, in Inglewood that will open up in time for the 2024-25 season. Ahead of the media event on Friday about the new arena, Ballmer highlighted the importance of the franchise garnering its own identity.
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“We’re good now, and we’re going to be good year in and year out,’ Ballmer said via ESPN. “We’re going to build our own building, more of our own identity, more of our own personality. And I think some of the fans on the other side, if you will, it’s like, ‘What? You dare to question our supremacy?’ No, we do.
“There’s 30 teams in the league. There’s 29 others. And we got one that happens to be based in L.A. And we got our fans. We use our expression, ‘LA Our Way.’ And we’re building our own presence, identity. And if the other guys feel a little threatened — the other guys’ fans, I mean; the players are actually a little different deal — but if they feel a little threatened, that’s OK. It means we’re doing good.”
The Clippers have shared Staples Center with the Los Angeles Lakers since the opening of the arena. It’s continued to put the franchise in the Lakers’ shadow despite the team’s success over the last decade.
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The hope is that the new arena will allow the franchise to branch off into its own space in Los Angeles. All that presents a bright and promising future ahead for Ballmer and the Clippers.
