Ever since Doc Rivers joined the Los Angeles Clippers and Steve Ballmer purchased them from Donald Sterling, the organization has made a concerted effort to remove themselves from the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers. They've covered up the Lakers' banners during Clippers home games. They've become the definitively better team, but still struggle to carry more interest in the city than the fallen Lakers. While the Lakers have created their own television network for broadcasting, the Clippers are kicking around the idea of streaming their games online.
Now that movement and effort could see the Clippers leaving the Staples Center. Kevin Arnovitz and Marc Stein of ESPN are reporting the Clippers are searching for a new building to call their home. With their lease at Staples Center being up in 2024, they could be looking for a location on the west side of Los Angeles, further separating themselves from the Lakers.
Story going online now from our own @kevinarnovitz reports that the Clippers have begun to investigate potential new arena sites in L.A.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 27, 2016
NBA sources say Clippers are actively exploring sites for new arena. One area that interests: Westside. Staples Ctr lase runs thru 2024.
— Kevin Arnovitz (@kevinarnovitz) July 27, 2016
The Clippers have been a tenant of the Staples Center since it opened in 1999. Sharing a building with the Lakers was no doubt a cost-cutting measure by the notoriously cheap Sterling, which is not a characteristic Ballmer shares in any way. Sharing a building with the Lakers may not make sense anymore, especially when the Clippers want to have their own hold on the city, no matter how futile that idea may continue to be.
