Menu
Closing Bell

Ballmer Confirms Clippers In Preliminary Talks For New Arena

Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer today confirmed that the team is in preliminary talks about building a new arena, calling it an “option” after its Staples Center lease expires in June '24. Speaking at the '16 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology conference in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ballmer praised AEG-owned Staples Center, but said a new generation of basketball-specific arenas in Sacramento and Oklahoma City serve the fan experience better. When moderator John Ourand asked Ballmer if there is anything to the reported site scouting and meetings with architects, he replied, “Of course there is.”

Ballmer: “When you have seven or eight years left on your lease, at least the last time I checked with my friends in the real estate business, you'd better have an option other than just going back to your current landlord hat in hand. So, yeah, we’re going to have real options. We're sort of putting those options together today.” Ballmer made similar remarks about options to the L.A. Times in '15, but had not previously confirmed active work toward a new facility.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2016/10/05/Ballmer.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2016/10/05/Ballmer.aspx

CLOSE