The Los Angeles Clippers have been sharing the Staples Center with rival opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers, for over 18 years now, but changes are coming.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been working to relocate the team in the greater Los Angeles area for quite some time, and it looks like they may finally have a new home. The Clippers are reportedly finalizing a deal to Move the team to Inglewood.

Benefits of a new arena

Ballmer wants a new arena for the team for many reasons.

He doesn’t want the team to share arenas with the Lakers, who have 16 championship banners hanging in the rafters of Staples Center. Also, having their own arena would make the scheduling much easier for the NBA. Staples Center staff will also have it easy since they wouldn’t have to change the court every time the two teams play on the same day. Another major benefit would be that the Lakers and Clippers wouldn’t have to share locker rooms anymore.

No more hiding Lakers’ banners

Meanwhile, when Doc Rivers took over as a head coach for the Clippers, he wanted to hide the Lakers championship banners by covering them with banners of Clipper players. But, that was only a temporary fix. Now that the Clippers will most likely have their own home court, they wouldn’t have to worry about living in the shadows of the Lakers.

They will have their own court and can design the arena however they like.

The Clippers’ lease with Staples Center runs out in 2024, but the franchise is nonetheless working with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL to relocate to Inglewood, which should generate major business toward the area. The Clippers’ new arena will be adjacent to the Rams’ new stadium that is also being built.

The Los Angeles Chargers will also be relocating to the area, adding more entertainment in Inglewood.

“When you have seven or eight years left on your lease…you’d better have an option than just going back to your current landlord hat in hand saying, ‘Please, please sir, please give me the chance to play in your building again,” Ballmer said about Clippers’ relocation several months ago.

Ballmer later began to talk about the lengthy process of making a new arena.

Therefore, even if the Clippers officially reach an agreement on a move, it would take them a while to relocate given that an arena has to be built, which could take a couple years. However, the move is still ideal and would be a start to a new era for Los Angeles.