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Opening Night at Intuit Dome
My family has thrived as Clippers season ticket holders since the team first arrived in Los Angeles in 1984. I have attended almost every opening night in the past 40 years. Every season, there is renewed excitement and anticipation that is palpable on opening day, no matter what the predictions are for the season. That was certainly true of opening night 2024, the first of many to come in the Clippers’ new home, the Intuit Dome. But there was something so different this year; of course, the excitement and anticipation were there in full force, but there was an undercurrent that was hard to define in the moment. Reflecting this morning, 12 hours post-game, I realized that the word I was searching for is Community.
Cliché as it may sound, the feeling of community was everywhere at the Clippers’ opening night. Arriving early at the Intuit Dome, on a beautiful 80-degree Southern California fall day, walking across the pedestrian bridge into the expansive open space that is welcoming to all, I was treated to a view of kids playing basketball on the community court, friends sitting on the steps catching up and sharing stories, families getting matching stick-on Clippers tattoos. Thousands of fans, friends, families just enjoying the sense of community that is the cornerstone of what has been created by Steve Ballmer and the Clippers organization.
Inside Intuit, the feeling of community was electric. Typically, Angelenos casually arrive at games at their leisure, sometime in the first quarter. Not at Intuit last night. The arena was packed long before the fans were welcomed in by Tyronn Lue. From the courtside seats to the rafters, fans were on their feet pregame, processing the incredible beauty of the Intuit Dome, the insane halo board, the unmistakable vibe of energy and anticipation. The community showed up en masse, like the powerful ocean waves that are already becoming in iconic representation of the Intuit Dome and the new Clippers brand.
And then there is the Wall. Almost indescribable. There is no better representation of community in the new Clippers era than the Wall. A solid stretch of fandom stretching from top to bottom of the baseline section, a community of supporters dedicated to providing energy, distracting the opposing free throw shooters, cheering, and yes, enthusiastically waving rubber chickens dressed like Chuck the Condor. Steve Ballmer kicked off the excitement there, meeting fans and doing his best at keeping up with the cheer choreography. The Wall was loud, tireless, and seemed like what would happen if 4,500 of your best friends got together to watch your favorite team play the best game of your life. I have no doubt that strangers became lifelong friends on the Wall on opening night.
The community atmosphere thrived all night. The NBA executives sitting behind me commented that the crowd and the atmosphere were at a playoff level intensity. I always stay to the end of the game, which often seems like the exception to the rule. But I didn’t see anyone leave early to “beat the traffic”. Everyone on their feet at the end of what was an exciting first game, despite the disappointing result. Even leaving the arena, this giant connected community continued to bond, enjoying the collective moments and sharing in the excitement of what lies ahead in the new Clippers home – the new fans’ home as well.
This shouldn’t be surprising, given the longstanding dedication of the organization to the Los Angeles area communities. In 2018, the Clippers and the Ballmers made major gifts to the Department of Parks and Recreation to renovate 350 community basketball courts across the southland, which serve hundreds of thousands annually, providing not only sports but serving as essential and cherished community gathering spaces. The Intuit Dome is an extension of that vision.
Certainly, the upcoming season will ebb and flow, like the waves that are prevalent around the Clippers identity in their new home. But if opening night is any indication, the sense of community, the building and growth of a team and fan identity, will be the hallmark of the new era in Clippers basketball.