The Rams and SoFi Stadium is all the rave this week as the Super Bowl comes to Inglewood on Feb. 13, but it was the Clippers Intuit Dome just adjacent to the $5 billion saucer that attracted most of the attention when opening up the gates to share a progress upgrade to the next big arena project in the city.
NBA legend Jerry West was joined by Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Jr. for an exclusive first look at the construction of their new home located at 3900 W Century Boulevard at Prairie Avenue.
After breaking ground in in September 2021, the Intuit Dome is scheduled to open in fall 2024 as the most raucous, rollicking arena in the NBA.
“I think they had this press conference because they reached a milestone in their excavation in how far they’ve come here on the eve of the Super Bowl and I think it was a great idea for them to do this,” Mayor Butts explained to Inglewood Today.
Now that Inglewood has SoFi Stadium and soon the Intuit Dome, Mayor Butts will now focus on the Inglewood Transit Connector that will connect the Crenshaw Line to the sports entertainment core of the city.
West, who for many years starred for the Lakers before evolving into the preeminent executives in the NBA, is now in a leading role for the Clippers that will call the Intuit Dome their new home.
“This (arena) definingly creates our own identity, but also people will flock here to see this building but for them to come out we will have to have a very competitive product and this will be the best building in the league. Anything that (owner) Steve (Balmer) does he wants to have the best and his vision to do this with enormous cooperation from the City of Inglewood and I’m just thrilled the mayor and his office was able to accomplish this building. It will be more fun as we go along that’s for sure,” West said.
Having grown up watching West with the Lakers, I could not help but notice the 82-year old competitive juices flow as he took the tour at the site.
He knows the most import thing for the team to win.
“That’s the most important thing. This building will give the Clippers their own identity, but more importantly it will give them a level playing field in terms of scheduling. We have an awful schedule, but at the end of the day you have to win games and have to win big games. The Clippers have had a lot of good teams here in the last few years and we’ve got two premier players who are not playing so that helps a lot and we are hopeful they will come back,” West concluded.
