Magic Johnson was the first person to buy season tickets when the Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
But now, the Rams may open their doors to Magic’s “new” rival in Inglewood.
Representatives for Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Rams owner Stan Kroenke have met on multiple occasions about “the Clippers joining the Rams and Chargers in the sports and entertainment district Kroenke is building in Inglewood,” the Los Angeles Times is reporting.
Multiple sources told the newspaper that a new arena could go up on Kroenke’s 298-acre site or an adjacent piece of land. The prospect of adding the NBA franchise appeals to Kroenke for its potential to increase traffic to the district and share parking with the stadium when it opens in 2019.
“While the Rams and Chargers will bring at least 20 dates a year to the district, a basketball arena that also hosts entertainment events could increase that number tenfold,” The Times reported. “By comparison, Staples Center hosts more than 250 events a year.”
The Clippers currently have a lease to play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ Staples Center through 2024. Johnson earlier this week took on the role as the Lakers’ new Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Several potential roadblocks exist to the completion of the deal, the Times added.
Ballmer may not want to be a tenant and would want to own the land on which the arena sits. Kroenke does not have the reputation for selling off what he acquires.
However, he does own the Denver Nuggets, which might make a deal to sell land to Ballmer more palatable.
As it stands now, the property doesn’t have a permit for a new arena; Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. told the Times that “Any change they make would have to be rezoned through the city. Those would be pretty significant changes.”
Finally, the arena would have to compete with Staples Center and the Forum to bring in concerts or other events.
Currently, the Clippers are relegated to third choice for dates in Staples, behind the Lakers and presumably AEG Live, which schedules concerts at Staples—although the Times report did not say for certain.
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