The LA Clippers lose to the Phoenix Suns in the Intuit Dome's opening game
Kawhi Leonard's absence due to injury was noticed and the final score was 113 - 116 in favor of Kevin Durant's team.
Opening of the LA Clippers' Intuit Dome
The LA Clippers did not emerge victorious from the first NBA game they held in their new arena, the Intuit Dome. In the last half, Steve Ballmer's team lost to the Phoenix Suns by three points.
With a score of 113 - 116, the injury of Kawhi Leonard and the departure of Paul George were felt hard in the Clippers' locker room. Up front, Durant led the Suns with 25 points and seven rebounds.
NBA premiere of the Intuit Dome
Thanks to an investment of some $2 billion, the Clippers are finally fleeing the long shadow of the aristocratic Lakers, with whom they had shared the court since 1999. If they never felt at home at Crypto.com Arena, formerly Staples Center, Clippers fans now boast a venue that is a benchmark for other sports franchises.
"Welcome home, Clipper Nation," Ballmer cried to the 18,000 fans with the arena buzzing before the start of the game against the Phoenix Suns.
From the facial-recognition entrances to the futuristic video scoreboard, everything in the Intuit Dome bears the stamp of Microsoft's onetime top executive.
Ballmer, the 10th richest person in the world with an estimated $124 billion according to Forbes, has an exuberant passion for the Clippers, a franchise he acquired in 2014, and has spared no detail for the new home of a team considered cursed, having never set foot in an NBA Finals.
The mogul has taken the team from downtown Los Angeles to the suburb of Inglewood, next to the NFL's brand-new SoFi Stadium for the Chargers and Rams and alsonear the international airport.
In South Los Angeles, he intends to create a culture of his own, a mix of techno-modernity and street art, as shown by the entrances to the venue, surrounded by murals and other works by local artists, bars and even a public basketball court.
"It's amazing. It feels like this is what arenas are going to be like in the future," fan Steve Daniels told AFP before taking his seat.
"We're very happy. Now we'll stop feeling like the second team in Los Angeles and have our own identity," said this real estate employee, who even forgot the misgivings he had about getting in with facial recognition.
"At first I was a little reluctant, I thought it was kind of invasive," he admits. "But then I saw how simple it makes everything and I think I'll do it every time."
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