Few owners have had a more transformative effect on a franchise like Steve Ballmer has had on the Clippers. Since Ballmer became the owner in 2014, the Los Angeles Clippers have become perennial title contenders. The former Microsoft CEO has made substantial investments in the franchise, contributing significantly to both the roster and the arena. The Clippers announced plans of building a brand new arena back in September 2021.

Three years later, their plans have come to fruition, as the Clippers’ new $1.2 billion worth Intuit Dome is on the verge of opening. The state-of-the-art facility is slated to open in August, before the start of the 2024-25 season. One of the standout features of the stadium is “The Wall”, which is going to be an uninterrupted portion of seating for 51 rows of fans. The “Wall” section has a seating capacity of approximately 5,000. The section is going to be the first of its kind in the NBA.

However, former Wizards’ star Gilbert Arenas pointed out a minimal flaw about the billion dollar arena. In the latest episode of the NightCap podcast, Arenas said, “The concept of what he (Ballmer) is saying is amazing. But I don’t think he understands that the visiting teams picks which way to go. Which means, first half I’ll go against “the Wall”, and then in the 2nd half I go the other way. Where the wall has no impact on this game. So, Ballmer put the sh*t on both sides.” 

What’s the inspiration behind the “Wall”?

In February 2020, Steve Ballmer traveled to San Diego in order to attend the jersey retirement ceremony for Kawhi Leonard. During Kawhi’s jersey retirement ceremony, Ballmer fell in love with Viejas Arena’s architecture. He said, “Just standing on the court and looking up, it was just like whoaaaa. This is fun.”

Ballmer was so highly impressed by the arena’s architecture and atmosphere that construction plans had to be edited on the go. Although the architects couldn’t entirely realize Ballmer’s vision at this advanced stage, a plan was hatched for a truly unique fan section. In another interview, Ballmer recalled his experience at Viejas Arena. He said, “That place was vrroooh, just straight vertical. No suites. Mass humanity, right on top of the game. That sense of energy, that vrroooh just really got me fired up. I said, we’ve got to do something to be more like a college gym.”

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With the new state-of-the-art Intuit Dome opening before the start of the 2024-25 season, Steve Ballmer remains hopeful that it will be accompanied by a series of championship victories.

What are your thoughts on the “Wall” and the Intuit Dome? Let us know in the comments below!

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