Intuit Dome opens its doors to Clippers fans with preseason game
Clippers players listen to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden listens to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans enter the new Intuit Dome during a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans play basketball outside the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers, before the team’s NBA preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but Monday night was the first NBA game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans walk on a bridge to the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers, before the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two fans take a selfie outside the Intuit Dome before a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The new arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans take pictures as they ride an escalator during a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans cheer before a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden gestures after making a shot during the first half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Kevin Porter Jr., left, steals the ball from the Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, from left, Daniel Gafford and Kyrie Irving watch from the bench during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Quentin Grimes (5) dribbles past the Clippers’ Kris Dunn (8) during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, goes up for a layup as Clippers forward Nicolas Batum defends during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An aerial view shows the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers on Monday night in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, and Quentin Grimes celebrate a basket by a teammate during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Cam Christie dunks during the second half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, top, jumps to block a shot by the Clippers’ Kevin Porter Jr. during the second half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford (21) celebrates his dunk during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving watches from the bench during the second half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Amir Coffey (7) tosses the ball to Kevin Porter Jr. (77) during the second half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard, center right, and James Harden share a light moment on the bench during the second half of their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Amir Coffey (7) is defended by the Dallas Mavericks’ Quentin Grimes (5) and Naji Marshall (13) during the second half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, walks past Clippers star James Harden during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden makes his way down the court during the first half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A commercial jet passes by the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers on Monday in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August but hosted its first NBA game on Monday night. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Clippers players listen to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first game in the $2 billion-plus vision of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Fans streamed in through doors using facial recognition. A double-sided halo board showed photos, videos, statistics and more.
“It’s a great feeling to have a place to call home. Guys are very excited about it,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said of no longer having to share Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers and the NHL’s Kings. “Our whole organization is excited about it. Tonight our fans get the chance to see a part of it. You have a chance to have our own place we call home. You can leave your shoes in the locker room and come back tomorrow and they’ll be there. We have our own place and own building and everything is secure.”
On “60 Minutes,” which aired Sunday, Ballmer showed off his new building, which he hopes will give his NBA team a boost.
“Everything in my instinct says it will help our team, our basketball team, if our crowd team can really get into it and give them energy,” Ballmer said.
As fans entered the arena, they found the 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza with a basketball court that’s open to the public.
Patricia Blakemore was jumping up and down when she arrived in the arena.
“It’s so high tech,” said Blakemore, who lives in nearby Manhattan Beach. “I have to say one of the things that makes me exceptionally happy is that from the moment we parked our car to get in here, the staff has been very helpful.”
When asked how long he’s been a Clippers fan, Eric Swallow said since Monday. He just bought season tickets.
“It’s a new stadium and it’s close to Manhattan Beach,” Swallow said. That was all it took for the Clippers to gain a new fan.
Estelle Talleu and Matteo Decarlini came from France to visit Los Angeles and go to the game.
“I love basketball, and I wanted to see L.A. and this atmosphere,” Decarlini said. “In France, it’s not the same. There’s nothing like this. This arena is so big.”
Talleu loved the halo board: “It’s amazing.”
She was taking lots of videos, as were many fans in the nearly 18,000-seat arena.
There’s also – as Ballmer promised from the outset – an abundance of bathrooms, and he again boasted about the 1,400 toilets on “60 Minutes.” There’s good reason.
“I really hate it when people wait in line,” Ballmer told “60 Minutes.” “Waiting in line for toilets, I think is – it stops people from getting back into the game. People get frustrated.”
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The Intuit Dome is less than a mile from Sofi Stadium – where the NFL’s Rams and Chargers call home – and The Kia Forum, which hosts concerts and used to be home to the Lakers and Kings.
The venue is carbon-free and cashless and has all the bells and whistles.
Juvenal Martinez, who is 14, came to the game with his uncle.
“The arena is good. I like it. I like all the technology and the facial scan to get in,” he said.
Ballmer broke ground on the arena in 2021 and it opened its doors in August. It is already scheduled to host several big events, including the 2026 All-Star Game and basketball for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“This is beautiful,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “To be able to practice here (Sunday) and have shootaround here, they did an incredible job. I think Clippers fans should be happy. When you look at fan experience it will be like no other. It will be exciting to be the first visiting team to experience that.”
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