Featured image credit: LA Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers NBA franchise has announced that Frontwave Arena, a new 7,500-capacity venue opening in San Diego later this year, will serve as the home of its G League team.
The team currently known as the Ontario Clippers will complete the 2023-24 G League season in Ontario, California before rebranding as the San Diego Clippers next season.
The move will mark a return to the San Diego area for the Clippers organisation, with the NBA team having played there from 1978 to 1984. The LA Clippers are moving into a new arena of their own, the 18,000-capacity Intuit Dome, in August.
The LA Clippers and Halo Sports and Entertainment, the new umbrella brand encompassing the NBA and G League teams as well as the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, will partner with Frontwave Arena to run the business operations of the San Diego Clippers.
Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the LA Clippers, will continue to oversee basketball operations for both teams.
Frontwave Arena will open on September 17 with the debut of the Gold Over America Tour starring US gymnast Simone Biles. The arena will host a range of sports, entertainment and community events and will feature an outdoor plaza.
Gillian Zucker, chief executive of Halo Sports and Entertainment, said: “We are proud to reintroduce the San Diego Clippers into this passionate sports market. Our G League team is a critical part of our business and basketball operation, and we are thrilled to be relocating to the new Frontwave Arena next season.”
Josh Elias, co-founder and chief executive of Frontwave Arena, added: “We are excited to show off our new home Frontwave Arena and welcome the San Diego Clippers next season. Working with a world-class organisation like the Clippers and people like Steve Ballmer and Gillian Zucker to create a new home to showcase their commitment both on and off the basketball court is a slam dunk.”
The Ontario Clippers currently play at Toyota Arena, which has a capacity of over 10,000 for basketball and also hosts ice hockey and other sports.
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