Clippers fans get first look at Intuit Dome

Intuit Dome staged its first NBA game yesterday (Monday) as the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Dallas Mavericks in a preseason fixture.

The $2bn (£1.5bn/€1.8bn) Inglewood arena hosted its first event, a Bruno Mars concert, in August but yesterday marked the first time the Clippers have played at their new home.

A crowd of 13,400 turned out for the game, which saw the Clippers defeat the Mavericks 110-96.

The opening event in August had its teething problems, with multiple reports stating that fans had issues entering the arena due to a technical glitch with the venue’s ticketing system.

Fans need a Game Face ID saved on their LA Clippers + Intuit Dome app to enter the arena, and yesterday’s game appeared to go ahead without any issues.

The Clippers will host the Sacramento Kings in another preseason game on Thursday. The team’s first regular-season game at Intuit Dome is against the Phoenix Suns on October 23.

The Clippers had shared Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) with the Los Angeles Lakers and NHL ice hockey team Los Angeles Kings since it opened in 1999, but had long been seeking a home of their own. The Intuit Dome project has been the brainchild of Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer, with the venue meeting its stated goal of delivery in time for the 2024-25 NBA season.

Intuit Dome has been designed to create an intimate and intense fan experience through features such as ‘The Wall,’ which is comprised of 51 uninterrupted rows of seats for 4,500 fans that include a dedicated supporters’ section; a two-sided halo scoreboard encircling the bowl with an acre of LED lighting; and an 80,000 square foot outdoor plaza, surrounding a full-size outdoor court.

The Clippers signed financial software company Intuit as the naming rights sponsor of the arena, as the team broke ground on the project back in September 2021. Intuit Dome has already been awarded the NBA All-Star Game in 2026, while it will host basketball games during the 2028 Olympic Games.